What's in a Name
by Nikani
Summary: Thirteen year old Harry Potter has heard his name said in many different ways in his young life. This story touches on just some of them. No slash. AU, so folks may be OOC.
1. Chapter 1 Petunia

I've always been preferential to stories where Severus is not an evil bat and Sirius didn't die (still in denial over that one, Ms. Rowling!). Seeing as this is AU anyway, I get to make attitude adjustments as I go to the various characters and I hope you enjoy them! All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I just like to make things up with them as I go along...

Please read and review. How else can I hope to get better?

Part one - Petunia

It was strange feeling to hate one's name.

After so many years of hearing it said with different inflections, many of them harsh, the boy had most definitely grown to hate his.

He stared at his reflection in the mirror: thirteen year old thin, gangly body, coal black hair that couldn't be tamed, huge luminous green eyes that betrayed his every emotion, no matter how hard he tried to hide them. Then of course, there was that blasted scar.

This past school year had been one of upheavals, confusion, fear, and shocking revelations. He'd discovered that his most despised professor, Severus Snape, was really a spy for the light and actually cared a great deal for the boy. His favorite professor, Remus Lupin, was not only a werewolf who had nearly killed him and his friends, but had, horror of horrors, once changed his diapers!

But the greatest revelation was that the man who had supposedly broken out of Azkaban to kill him, was the person who loved him most in the entire world, wizarding or muggle. Sirius Black loved him unconditionally as his godson, as a son, and most of all, just for himself. Not because of what he had done in the past or was expected to do in the future, but because of WHO he was.

Harry Potter.

Yes. That was his name. For better or worse, though most days worse.

"Harry Potter!"

He winced as his aunt's voice screeched through the door of the bathroom, demanding his attention and obedience. Petunia Dursley never said his name in anything other than a screech, and depending on his errors for the day, it ranged between several octaves. If Harry had only missed a spot while cleaning the floor, it was moderately annoying and caused only his ears to ring. If it was something more serious, such as burning dinner, dogs all over England howled in agony over the abuse to their ears.

He opened the door to face her wrath. Head down, eyes fixed on her hideous house shoes, "Yes, Aunt?"

Petunia's finger appeared under his nose causing him to rear back slightly to avoid getting jabbed by it, "My garden club is due here in four hours; what are your responsibilities for the day?"

Still not meeting her eyes, Harry recited, "Trim the hedges, pull the weeds, lightly water the flowers without getting the grass wet, make tea, and prepare the cucumber sandwiches."

He knew he'd forgotten something when Petunia's hands clamped down on her hips and he racked his mind for what he could have missed as she snarled, "And what else, you idiot boy?"

He caught a glimpse of his uncle appearing at the top of the stairs and spared him a quick glance from under his fringe of hair. Vernon Dursley made a slight movement with one hand towards Harry's tiny bedroom, triggering his memory, "Sorry, Aunt Petunia, I thought you meant what I had to get done before I was to stay in my room and not make any noise."

"See that you do exactly that, Harry Potter, or you'll regret it." And with that threat, Petunia swept down the hallway to her bedroom to spend the morning at her dressing table putting on her make-up and choosing just the right clothes to make a good impression. The venom that she imbued his name with lingered in the air as he turned to face his very large uncle.


	2. Chapter 2 Vernon

Part two – Vernon

Vernon Dursley looked down at his nephew as the boy came to a halt before him, head still bowed from his aunt's anger. He heaved a sigh, part relief that his wife had simply stormed away without an explosion and part regret that the child was always incurring her wrath. There didn't seem to be anything he could do right when it came to her.

He placed one heavy hand gently on the thin shoulder, "Harry, are you alright?"

Green eyes came up to meet Vernon's pitying gaze, "Yes, Uncle. I guess I took too long in the loo this morning." Harry hated it when his uncle looked at him like that; it made him feel like a wounded animal left to die, alone and unwanted. "I guess I need to get to work."

Dursley shook his head as the boy slid past him and hurried down the stairs, heading for the backyard to begin him tasks. Ever since the day he'd been left on their doorstep, Petunia had hated Harry. It had only gotten worse when he had his first outburst of accidental magic; that had nearly driven her over the edge. For days, she had raved about her sister and brother-in-law and what horrible people they had been. Now...now she had a viper in her home in the form of her nephew.

Vernon stepped into the bedroom he shared with his wife and sat on the bed to watch her for a moment as she carefully applied make-up to her long thin face. She was his complete opposite in both looks and temperament, but still, he loved her.

Seeing him in the mirror, Petunia smiled and called him over, "Vernon, dear, come and help me with my necklace. You know I can never get the clasp to work right!"

He came up behind her and took the offered bauble, fumbling it a bit with his meaty hands. Dropping it to rest lightly on her protruding collarbone, the big man fastened the ornamental clasp for the pearls and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder before stepping back, "There you are, Pet, pretty as a spring day!"

She flushed in pleasure and graced him with a smile before digging through her jewelry for earrings to match, "Vernon, darling, would you go down and keep an eye on that awful boy? I don't want anything to mess this up today and you know how he can be."

"Of course, dear," Vernon replied as he headed for the door. "And I'm sure that everything will be just fine today."

A few moments later he was stepping out the backdoor, eyes sweeping the yard to find his nephew. He finally spotted Harry partially hidden behind the shed as he pulled what few weeds there were to find and lumbered over to him.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Harry sat up straight and turned his head, "I'm almost done with the weeding, Uncle, and the hedges don't need trimmed."

"I know, Harry," Vernon murmured gently. "Not that there's much for you to pull since you just did this two days ago."

_There it is again, _Harry thought, _that note of pity. Merlin, why does he have to feel sorry for me? Why doesn't he just tell Aunt Petunia to leave me alone? Sirius didn't talk to me like this when he had to leave me, he treated me like a person with thoughts and feelings, not a two year old crying for their mother._

He rose to his feet, opening the shed to place his work gloves on the shelf inside, then moved to the side of the house where the hose was coiled up nice and neat in it's holder. As he turned on the water and carefully controlled the amount coming out the end, Vernon settled into one of the large, heavy patio chairs with a sigh.

"Harry, Harry, Harry...you really are such a good boy. You don't know how much I wish your aunt could see past the wizarding part of you to the sweet kid you are inside."

The sweet kid grit his teeth, nearly biting his tongue as his uncle went on in pointing out Harry's good points and bemoaning the piteous way he was treated. In an effort to tune him out, Harry focused on getting just the right amount of water to the flowers while wishing he'd get an owl from Sirius telling him that his godfather was free and coming to get him.

Watering finished, he recoiled the hose as neatly as he'd found it and turned to the large man, "I'm done out here, Uncle. I need to clean up real quick and start on the sandwiches."

"Of course, of course, Harry, I'll just keep your aunt occupied for a few minutes while you wash up."

Harry watched silently as the man disappeared into the house and up the stairs. Really, Uncle Vernon meant well, and he really did try to help Harry as much as he could, but the constant pity-party needed to stop! With a silent sigh, Harry went in to clean up and start on the food.


	3. Chapter 3 Dudley

Part three - Dudley

When Harry entered the kitchen after washing up, the first thing he saw was his cousin Dudley. He desperately hoped things would get better from there. Without a word and barely a glance, he set the large tea kettle on the stove and turned it on, then opened the refrigerator and pulled out the bread, cucumbers, and dressing for the sandwiches his aunt and her little band of flower children devoured every time they got together.

Dudley was seated at the table shoveling chips into his mouth as fast as he could while watching one of his many favorite tv shows. When the smaller boy entered the room, he paused only a moment to stare at him before making a face and sneering, "If it isn't Harry Potter, boy wonder."

Harry grabbed a knife and began cutting the crusts off the bread to pare them down to the correct size, then picked up the first of the cucumbers. He had just begun to peel them when the tv abruptly turned off.

"You can make me a sandwich while your standing there, cousin, you know how I like mine."

Ever so slowly, Harry turned his head and looked over his shoulder at the over-sized teenager, "Yes, I do, however, I also know that neither your arms not legs are broken, so you can get up and fix it yourself." He faced the counter again, "I have enough to do to get things ready for YOUR mother's garden club."

Dudley rose and stomped over to the other boy, "I don't care if you think you have other things to do, I want you to fix me a sandwich...right now...or I'm going to tell mummy."

Smirking down at the cucumber, Harry snorted, "And do you really think that YOUR sandwich is going to take precedence over HERS?" A piece of his bangs fell down and into his eyes and without really paying much attention, Harry simply brushed it aside as he glowered at Dudley for a moment, "I don't. I'm pretty sure that 'mummy' would be happy to fix her darling little Diddikins a sandwich while the mean, nasty, freaky, little wizard finishes her all important ones."

Dudley stared for a moment, eyes fixated on the scar the graced the forehead of his cousin. For years, he had thought, along with Harry, that it was a memento of the car crash that had killed the Potters; only to discover that it was given to him by a dark wizard intent on killing the only person who was destined to bring him down. Young Dursley had been outraged to discover that the weird and freaky things that his younger, smaller cousin had been manifestations of his magic and that Harry was not only a wizard, but would one day be extraordinarily powerful.

On top of everything, Harry had most of the wizarding world at his feet! Because of his defeat of the dark wizard guy, Volley-something-or-other, Harry was like the crown prince of his world; Dudley had seen people approach his cousin every once in a while when they were out places to shake his hand or bow to him. After Harry had been taken by the giant guy when he was eleven, and after he'd had the blasted tail removed, Dudley had demanded to know what was going on.

A WIZARD! Of all things, Harry got to be a wizard!

Petunia had explained to her odious offspring that this sometimes ran in families, her sister Lily had been a witch, the first ever apparently, in the Evans bloodline. Dudley had demanded to know when HE was going to get to be a wizard so he could curse all those people who dared to make him mad.

"You won't be one," came his mother's devastating reply. "If you haven't shown signs of it before now, and you didn't get a letter like that little freak, you have no magic."

Dudley had been forced to watch as his pipsqueak cousin packed up his new trunk with shiny black robes, potions supplies, and a WAND! And then there was that bird the giant guy had got him. A birthday present, Harry had told him. His first true present ever.

Standing in the kitchen, staring at the scar, all of Dudley disappointments came rushing forward and he gave the smaller boy a hard shove, "Think you're so special don't you?" His voice turned into a vicious sneer, "Harry Potter, the wizard prince." He shoved again, "Harry Potter, the darling of the wizard world." Another shove, "Harry Potter, the all-powerful."

Harry Potter was very thankful that he was holding a veggie peeler in his hand and not a knife when Dudley first started pushing him. Otherwise, he might gotten a nasty cut, or been tempted to use it on the big bully. He could hear the envy in the other's voice and understood where it was coming from.

"You fool," he snarled, "Dudley, you have no idea how much I used to envy you growing up."

Dudley backed off and looked at him as Harry had gone mad, "What do you mean? You have everything: magic, a cool school, all this power, people falling at your feet..."

"But I don't have a FAMILY, you toad!" Harry snapped. "You have your parents, you've been spoiled to within an inch of your life, fed anything and everything, given whatever you howl for. You've never had to do without! I had to do without a mother or father, sent to bed without dinner most nights, forced to slave in your house, lived in a cupboard for 10 years. I didn't even know that I WAS a wizard until I turned eleven." He turned back to the cucumbers, "I think I deserve a little bit of happiness after everything."

Dudley began to smirk. Imagine! All this time he'd been jealous of Harry being a wizard, and Harry just wanted a family. How pathetic!

Forgetting about his sandwich, the fat boy tottered towards the kitchen door, "You know, I think I'll go spend time with mummy and daddy; I've been wanting a new computer game. Too bad you don't have anyone who cares enough about you to buy you anything!"

Harry began slicing the cucumbers as he thought about what Dudley had said. It was true, he didn't have James and Lily with him anymore, but he did have people who cared now. Ron and Hermione were always ready with their support, sympathy when he was hurt, help with homework, the voice of reason, and, more often than not, partners in crime.

Although the old man at times seemed distant, Harry knew that Albus Dumbledore cared for him and would do what he could to help him. There was also Hagrid, half-giant though he may be, no one could touch him in the loyalty department. Even Severus Snape this past year had proven to Harry that he cared. Snape had thought he needed saving from Sirius and had followed when the Golden Trio left the castle to see Hagrid that fateful day. The professor didn't want Harry out running around the grounds of Hogwart's without an adult close by to keep him safe, but understood why the three had gone to Hagrid's cottage. When Remus Lupin forgot to take his potion and turned into a werewolf, Severus had thrown himself in front of the children in an effort to protect them. Of course, if Remus HAD remembered his potion, there was no way on earth he would have EVER hurt Harry. The man loved him as the nephew he never had and would sacrifice himself if it meant saving Harry's life.

Then, there was Sirius.

A smile crossed the boy's face as he finished up the cucumbers and began assembling the sandwiches. Even in the very short time Harry had been able to spend with him, Sirius was already the father Harry never knew and always prayed for. Despite the years spent in Azkaban, he was strong mentally and physically, he had a compassion that ran deep and wide, and a love that brought him out of the depths of Hades to rush to the side of a boy he hadn't seen in ten years because he was afraid that someone was going to hurt him.

Harry had wanted so badly to go with Sirius that night when he and Hermione had broke him out. The love in the man's haunted eyes and the tenderness of his touch still lingered in Harry's heart. Each day he looked for an owl coming to deliver a letter from his godfather, hoping against hope for some good news.

He placed the finished sandwiches on their decorative plate, set them in the middle of the table and finished the tea, also placing it on the table with the china teacups. He had just finished wiping off the counter when Petunia made her appearance.

"Aren't you done yet, you ungrateful boy?"

"Yes, Aunt Petunia. I was just..."

Her slap wasn't completely unexpected. He had lost precious time arguing with Dudley and wasn't out of the kitchen like he was supposed to be.

"Get up to your room and stay there. I don't want to hear a sound out of you for the rest of the afternoon."

"Yes, Aunt."

Harry sidestepped her and bolted up to his room, closing the door quietly, one hand gently cradling his burning cheek. He looked toward the window hoping to see an owl, but there was nothing there. He slowly settled down on his bed and curled up in a ball. Maybe he could dream about better times to come...when Sirius was free and would come to get him...


	4. Chapter 4 Voldemort

Part four - Voldemort

Sleep came faster than Harry figured it would. He had barely settled on the bed, thoughts turning to Sirius, when he dropped off to dreamland. At first, his dreams were pleasant: time spent with his friends in the Gryffindor common room, a Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Remus, flying on Buckbeak with Sirius. But then, they took a decidedly dark turn.

Harry found himself standing in an old house, listening to it creak and shift ominously. Nearby, he could hear voices, one of which sounding strange, as if speaking Parseltongue. He crept through the house, following the voices, trying to keep to the shadows as much as possible so no one would catch him. Ahead of him was a doorway, partially open, to a room filled with candles of varying sizes and colors that barely illuminated the small area that seemed stifled with the stench of darkness.

Peering in the door, Harry saw a huge snake curled up in front of a lit fireplace with a plushy chair to one side. The snake was facing the chair and speaking to whoever or whatever was hidden in its depths.

_::Master, you are still very weak and tire so easily. Will you not allow me to carry some of the burden you bear?::_

A soft, high-pitched voice answered from the chair, "Thank you, my dear Nagini, I know how faithful you are and how much you desire to be of service to me, but I must carry this load myself as no one else can do so."

Harry nearly fell into the room when the door suddenly jerked open by unseen hands and that horrible voice called out, "Ah, if it isn't Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived-to-annoy-me. Won't you please come in, dear boy, and stay a while?"

He found that his legs didn't have the strength to run and no matter how hard he patted his pockets, he didn't seem to have his wand on him. A soft cackle from the chair drew his attention and Harry tentatively entered the room, tremors slithering his body at the sound of that laugh. He stopped near the center of the room, facing the giant snake briefly before turning his gaze on the chair. Revulsion filled Harry and he gave serious thought to throwing up as he stared at the head resting on the seat before him, slitted red eyes glaring at him.

"Harry Potter, how nice to see you again. As you can tell, our last encounter left me with little to live off of, but I guarantee that the next time we face one another, you will not get away so lucky."

Gathering his courage around him like a cloak, Harry faced Voldemort, "Next time we meet, Tom, I guarantee that I will be more ready for you than you can imagine. I WILL defeat you one of these times and send you back to Hades, only this time it will not be for a visit, but to stay!"

A harsh, wheezing chuckle responded to his bravado, "So you think so do you, boy?" The chuckle erupted into crowing laughter, reminding Harry of nails being run down a chalkboard. "You were lucky last time, Quirrell was a weak fool, I should never have used him. But that was a mistake I shall not repeat."

The boy shuddered as Voldemort continued to laugh maniacally before suddenly turning crafty, "You know, Potter, instead of fighting me, you could simply save your life and the lives of your pitiful friends by joining me. Together, you and I could easily rule this pathetic little world. Think about it, absolute power could be yours."

He didn't have to think about it. He already knew that Voldemort would kill him off the first chance he got whether they were allies or enemies. He shook his head, "Never. I could never follow you. Everything about you is pure evil, you don't know anything about goodness or love."

Another laugh erupted from the chair, and Voldemort's condescending voice echoed around the room, "Oh, Harry Potter, you know nothing of goodness or love either. I know where Dumbledore put you. I know how your family sees you. I know that you don't remember the love of your parents, so you, too, know nothing of love."

"That's where you're wrong!" Harry yelled. "I have found love; love from a new family; love that goes far beyond the bonds of blood. I have people who don't see Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived; they see me! Just Harry!"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed further, "Oh really, little man? You think so? Well, I'd be careful if I were you. The people who get too close to you tend to end up dead, just look at your parents, and their parents. I will be back to full strength faster than you know and you will regret your impudence, Harry Potter." The red eyes were suddenly fixed on the large snake who had been watching from her rug in front of the fire, "Nagini! Seize him!"

Before Harry could bolt, the mammoth snake was on him, scales warm from the heat of the fire pressed in tightly around him, squeezing firmly to hold him in place. Her head suddenly appeared before his face causing Harry to jerk back instinctively...

...and land hard on the floor next to his bed, gasping for breath.

Harry froze, terrified that he might have made some kind of noise that would bring his aunt's wrath down on him. Fortune seemed to favor him for once and it appeared as if the garden club were outside already enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Slowly gaining his feet, he sat down heavily on his bed and waited for his heart rate to slow to a more natural rhythm. Just as he heaved a sigh of relief, a loud thump against his window caused his heart to rocket back into overdrive. Jerking around, he spotted a large tawny owl perched by his window, tapping to get in.

Quickly, he scrambled over so his aunt would catch the bird by the house and let it in. It stepped over the sill and leaped to land lightly on his bed, offering one leg regally. Harry gently removed the letter and offered it a couple of treats, which it took graciously before launching back out the still open window.

He broke the seal and opened the letter eagerly:

_My dear Harry,_

_I hope that you know how much I miss you and how hard it was for me to leave you. You mean more to me than my own life, but, as it has been pointed out to me, I will do you no good if I'm in prison or worse. Please know that I am doing everything possible to clear my name so I can attain proper guardianship over you and remove you from Petunia's oh-so-loving home._

_I do have good news for you! Tomorrow morning, someone will be coming to pick you up, take you to Diagon Alley to purchase your school supplies, and then, bring you to me. Albus has given his permission for you to spend the rest of the summer with me and a few friends for protection._

_Hopefully, the time will pass quickly for both of us and soon, very, very soon, we will be together until you return to Hogwart's._

_Know that I am thinking of you always and working hard to prove my innocence. I will see you some time tomorrow, Harry. Until then, keep you chin up and your nose out of trouble!_

_All my love,_

_Padfoot_

Harry could scarcely breathe. Tomorrow! Only one more day in this house and he would be with Sirius!! He dropped the letter on the bed and silently opened his door, listening to the sounds of the house so he could determine where his aunt was. Her voice was extremely faint so he knew she was still outside with her ladies and his uncle always hid away in the bedroom so he didn't have to listen to the hens cackle.

Slipping down the hall past his cousin's bedroom (Dudley had made a break for it and disappeared to a friend's house) he tapped softly on the door to the master bedroom and whispered, "Uncle Vernon?"

The soft thumps of his uncle's heavy tread assured him the man was coming a few moments before the door opened. "Harry? What are you doing out of your room?"

"I received a letter, Uncle Vernon, someone is coming to get me tomorrow morning and I need to pack my things. Could you get my trunk out of the cupboard?"

The big man nodded, "Of course, Harry. I get it out later for you and take Pet and Dudders out to dinner tonight to explain to them that you're leaving early. I doubt there will be any trouble."

"Thanks, Uncle. I better scoot back to my room."

The man lightly patted his shoulder as he turned away and returned to the silence of his bedroom. Once there, Harry began to pull his things our and fold them neatly to pack when his trunk came up. The only things he didn't get out yet were his small treasures hidden away under the loose floorboard under his bed. Those he would save for last so his aunt didn't see them.

Now, he just had to wait for tomorrow!


	5. Chapter 5 Remus

Part five – Remus

Harry was awake early the next morning, checking and double-checking to make sure he had everything he needed packed safely away in the trunk his uncle had brought up last night. He didn't know what Vernon said to Petunia, but when they returned home from dinner out, she was almost dancing on air and completely ignored the removal of the trunk to his room from the cupboard under the stairs. When his uncle brought it into his room, he didn't say anything to Harry (Petunia was hovering by the doorway watching), but he did give the boy a quick wink and smile.

Carefully retrieving the items hidden under the floorboard, they too were packed away, with the notable exception of his wand. He know that he couldn't use it during summer holidays, but he felt better having it, especially after that dream yesterday of Voldemort.

Even with the knowledge that he was being picked up today, Aunt Petunia didn't relieve him of his cooking duties and ordered him downstairs to fix "a nice, big, healthy breakfast" for her "precious Diddidumkins".

"Healthy" wasn't actually allowed in the Dursley household when it came to Dudley. Numerous eggs, two or three slabs of bacon, a towering stack of pancakes, and a loaf of bread for toast rounded the meal out. Harry's mind wandered for a brief moment while fixing the last pancake and he was snapped back to reality by a smack on the cheek from his aunt as she screamed at him for wasting her food.

As punishment, she ordered him to stand at the counter and eat the burned pancake dry, causing him to make a face. A pancake just wasn't a pancake without butter and loads of syrup, in his opinion. The face earned him another smack on the same cheek, causing it to redden and burn all the more. The rest of the family settled down at the table to eat Harry's hard work as he took the smallest bite possible from the burnt cake and prayed for a miracle to happen that would prevent him from having to finish the disgusting thing.

The doorbell rang.

Harry nearly flew to the door, thanking any deity listening for saving him, and yanked it open. The tall thin man standing on the other side rated a glorious, beaming smile from the boy as he hurled himself into the arms of "REMUS!!"

With a soft, delighted laugh, Remus Lupin gently enclosed the slender child in his arms and pulled him against his chest for a hug, "Hello, Harry, how are you?"

"I'm great now that you're here," came the muffled response from the boy buried in his chest.

Remus laughed softly and patted the thin back, "I'm sure you're excited to be going to Diagon Alley and to see Paddy. Do you have everything packed and ready to go?"

"Only since last night," Harry chirped as he finally released his former teacher and straightened up. "I'll run up and get it."

Before he could more, Remus' hand flashed out and caught his chin, turning his face from one side to the other, "Harry, what happened?"

He had completely forgotten about the smacks his aunt had doled out over the breakfast mishap and realized that his cheek was probably still pretty red from the impact, "It's nothing, Remus, don't worry about it."

A frown marred the werewolf's forehead, pulling some of the scars and making him appear fiercer than the boy was used to, "This doesn't look like nothing, it appears as if someone has struck you." Amber eyes clashed with green and the anxiety was apparent in the man's voice, "Harry?"

"It's alright, Remus, really. Just a misunderstanding this morning over breakfast. It doesn't even hurt, honest!" Harry was desperate to erase the anxiety in his former teacher's eyes.

"It doesn't matter if it hurts or not, Harry, the fact remains that someone struck you on the face. I understand corporal punishment, meaning a spanking, if you've done something foolish or life threatening, but NOT a slap in the face!" Remus knew he was getting himself worked up, but he was just so anxious and concerned that someone was hurting the son of his best friends that he couldn't help himself.

Harry was getting more and more upset himself over the anxiety oozing off Moony, but he didn't know how to reassure the man. He'd never really had anyone who concerned themselves over his health and welfare before so he didn't know how to offer comfort for it. Finally, he just allowed his instincts to take over and stepped close to the adult wizard.

Remus was quite startled when the boy suddenly wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face in the werewolf's chest whispering, "It's alright, Remus, really, it's alright. Please don't be upset!"

He embraced the boy tightly; one hand lightly rubbing soothing circles over his thin back in an attempt to offer comfort, "I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't mean to frighten you, I'm just concerned that someone is hurting you."

Deciding to play things up worse than they actually were, Harry stretched the truth as far as he dared, "I really made a mess at breakfast, Moony. I was trying to make some pancakes and started daydreaming about something, and I let the pancake burn really bad and still wasn't paying attention. My aunt couldn't get my attention, so she smacked me. It wasn't hard actually, but my skin gets red really easily."

Remus wasn't actually buying what Harry was trying to sell, but he decided to let it go and not upset the child further. He released the young wizard from his grip, "Alright, Harry, if you say so. Why don't you go grab your trunk and I will let your family know that I'm here to take you. I assume they are in the kitchen since you mentioned breakfast?"

"Yes, sir," he pointed to the correct doorway and raced up the stairs to get his things.

Remus sighed in affection at the boy's zeal and stepped into the kitchen. All activities stopped dead when he entered and he was given the undivided attention of two adults and one small whale of a teenager. "Good morning, I'm Remus Lupin, Harry's former professor. I've come to collect him for the remainder of the summer."

Vernon rose slowly and extended his hand to the tall man, "Vernon Dursley, sir." He waved his hand to the rest of the table, "My wife Petunia and our son Dudley."

Remus nodded politely to the other two occupants of the room before turning his amber eyes on the obese man, "Has Harry informed you of where he will be staying for the summer?"

Even as Vernon was nodding, Petunia spoke up, "I don't care where the little freak is staying so long as it's far away from my family. If at all possible, keep him for the rest of his misbegotten life so I don't have to deal with his bizarre behaviors and outbursts ever again!"

The werewolf's eyes flamed with fury at the insult to his cub, "Harry is NOT a freak, madam. He is a wizarding child and a perfectly normal one at that. Believe me, I will do everything in my power to see to it that he NEVER returns to this place where he is so obviously unwanted and unloved."

A delighted smile crossed Petunia's horsey face, "Excellent! I'm so glad to hear that!"

Before Remus could lunge at her or draw his wand and curse her, Harry reappeared at his side, breathing heavily from dragging his trunk down the stairs, "I'm ready, Moony."

He eyed the boy in concern for what he may have overheard but Harry just gazed up at him with a guileless expression as he tugged on the man's arm, urging him to go. "Very well, Harry, let's be off, shall we?"

Harry grinned up at him before waving to the kitchen in general, "Bye Uncle Vernon, Aunt, Cousin. Have a nice summer!" Then he bounced to the still open front door and out onto the porch.

Remus glowered at the family for a brief moment, then followed the happy teenager out of the house, snapping the door closed behind him solidly. Turning to the child, his anxiety returned full force, "Harry, how much of what was being said in the kitchen did you hear?"

Harry frowned, hearing that inflection in Moony's voice again, "I didn't hear anything, Remus. Was I supposed to?"

"No, no, of course not," he reassured Harry thankfully. Glad that the sensitive boy hadn't heard his aunt's cutting remarks. "Here, let me shrink your trunk, then we'll walk down the street a bit before I apparate us to Diagon Alley."

With a bright, eager smile, Harry handed over the trunk and watched as Remus shrank it down and placed it in a pocket for him. Very carefully, Harry hid the fact that he had overheard every word said by both Remus and Petunia. He already knew his aunt's views concerning him, but he didn't want to hear Moony say his name with that anxiety again if he could do anything to prevent it!

"Ready?"

Nodding, the boy stepped close and wrapped his arms around the trim waist of the werewolf. Remus placed one arm around Harry and apparated them away.


	6. Chapter 6 Rita

Part six – Rita Skeeter

Remus apparated them to the alley located next to the Leaky Cauldron and led the boy inside asking, "How about some breakfast before we start our shopping spree?"

Harry canted him a confused look, "'Shopping spree'? I thought we were just coming to pick up my stuff for the next school year."

"We are," came the soft reply, "but you also need new robes, clothes…and a few other things I need to pick up."

The teenager nodded, "I just need to stop at Gringotts to get some money out of my vault…"

"Nope."

He stopped walking towards the table Remus was leading them to, "What do you mean?"

The werewolf turned, surprised to find Harry unmoving in the middle of the floor, and returned to stand in front of him, placing his hands lightly on the thin shoulders, "I mean, you don't need any money for today. I have all the galleons we need, and then some, have no fear."

Harry was confused as to where and how the older wizard could have gotten hold of that much money, but he was afraid of appearing rude by blurting it out. Remus, adept at reading faces, especially one as open and honest as this child's, smiled, turned, and patted the boy's back to get him moving again to the small, almost hidden table he was aiming for. Once they were seated, he put Harry out of his misery.

"Paddy has decreed that you are now his responsibility, and one he takes very seriously, so he should be the one to support you through the rest of your school years and beyond. He has vowed to make sure you lack for nothing for as long as he possibly can."

Tears welled up in the emerald green eyes and Harry turned his face to the wall, trying to hide them as much as possible from the man sitting across from him. How could it be after so many years of neglect that he now had someone who wanted and loved him?

Remus leaned back and gave the boy some time to gather himself together before beckoning to the waitress. He glanced over, "Harry, do you have a preference on what to eat, or do you just want me to order something for both of us?"

A slight wave from the huddled figure was his response and he nodded acceptance. Turning back to the young woman, he asked for poached eggs, toast, bacon, and fried potatoes for two; once she left, he quietly asked, "Are you alright?"

After hastily wiping his eyes clear of betraying moisture, Harry nodded and swallowed hard, "Sorry about that, Remus, you just caught me by surprise there. I never thought that he would do something like that."

The man frowned, "And why not? You're a minor child who needs to be looked after properly." Moony waved away the protests he saw starting on Harry's lips, "I said properly, child, NOT the so-called care you received from your aunt. Paddy has adored you since the day you were born, even before James and Lily asked him to be your godfather. And while we're on that subject, normally, in the wizarding world, if something happens to the parents of a child, the godparents almost ALWAYS take the orphaned in and raises them as their own."

"But, why? I mean, what if they have their own family, children to care for; why would they want the added hassle of taking in another mouth to feed and clothe?"

Remus leaned forward across the table to make sure he had the teen's attention, "Harry, the Weasley family is not the norm in our world. Most families usually only have one or two children, three at the most. At times, godparents have not only taken in their godchild, but have also adopted them, making them heirs of both families. I firmly believe that, if he ever gets his name cleared, your godfather will do the same for you."

They were interrupted by the return of the waitress carrying their breakfast, but Harry was happy for her arrival as it gave him a chance to gather his emotions again after that shock. The idea that Sirius may adopt him was mind-boggling, why would he want to do something like that? Why would he want to saddle himself with a teenager, not of his blood, who had a target on his back and a neon sign overhead screaming "Boy-Who-Lived!! Come and get him!"

Despite his jumbled feelings, the smell of the wonderful breakfast, that Harry hadn't had to make, penetrated and he eagerly dug in, making his way steadily through as much as he possibly could before sitting back with a groan. Remus, who had also been eating with good appetite, grinned at him, "Feel better?"

The boy patted his abdomen, "Feel stuffed!"

"Good! If you're done eating, we can start our shopping?"

Harry nodded eagerly; the sooner it was done, the faster he could get to Sirius.

Remus dropped money on the table to cover their food and a tip before hoisting the sated child out of his chair and nudging him in the direction of the doorway leading to the entrance of Diagon Alley. They had only gone a few steps when a flash of brilliant colors bounced in front of them, forcing them to halt.

"Harry Potter!"

He jerked back reflexively from the reporter advancing aggressively on him and bumped into the comforting form of the werewolf behind him. One hand came up to rest on his shoulder, reassuring him that he was not alone. He recognized the irritating woman, complete with her free-floating parchment and quill, though he wished he didn't have to, "Hello, Ms. Skeeter, please excuse me."

Instead of stepping back or to one side so they could pass, she moved in closer, "Harry Potter! Where have you been hiding yourself this summer? I've been trying to track you down for an interview. How do you feel about the incompetency of our ministry in letting Sirius Black escape from Hogwart's at the end of term? Are you still in fear for your life? Care to tell my readers just how devastating it is to have someone out for your blood? How does it feel to know that the man who was once your family's best friend, who once babysat you, who once changed your diapers is now your bitter enemy?"

Harry reared back, "Changed my diapers?!"

The man behind him nearly choked with laughter at Harry's reaction. Trust a teenager to take offense with something like THAT! He stepped forward, urging the boy back away from the reporter, "I'm sorry, Ms. Skeeter, Harry is on his way to Diagon Alley to purchase his school supplies and we really must be going. Please, excuse us."

Unfortunately, the woman ignored the implied warning in Remus' voice and tried to go after Harry again, "Harry Potter, do you live in constant fear that at any moment Sirius Black may just out of the shadows and cast the Killing Curse on you?" The aggressive reporter just wouldn't leave well enough alone, "Harry, are you planning on seeking revenge against him for what he…HEY!" Rita began to screech in outrage, "That's MINE, you dolt! How dare you?!"

The "dolt" in question was a highly irritated werewolf who had plucked her quill out of the air, snapped it into several pieces, then proceeded to shred her parchment into itty bitty pieces of scrap. He fixed her with burning amber eyes that caused the aggravating woman to actually shut up, "Back off and leave him alone."

As Rita Skeeter stood there spluttering in anger and fear, Remus prompted Harry to walk away with a gentle nudge in the back and they left the pub and stepped through the open archway to Diagon Alley. Just as the arch began to close, they heard another squall of "HARRY POTTER! I have more questions to ask you!"

He shook his head. Yes, indeed, there were definitely days he HATED his name.


	7. Chapter 7 Albus

Part seven – Albus

Harry and Remus managed to avoid the nasty reporter for the rest of the morning as they went about their shopping. There were so many shops they needed to go into for one thing or another that Remus came up with his own battle plan in his mind on how to manage their trip and set out to implement it.

"Alright, Harry, first stop for both of us…the Apothecary. You need supplies for the school year and I need to pick up several items for Severus."

Harry glanced up at the man beside him through his fringe, wondering if the supplies for Professor Snape included the ingredients for the Wolfsbane Potion he brewed regularly for Remus. As they entered the shop, his nose was assaulted by a huge number of smells, everything from Abyssinian Shrivelfigs to yew and dried Yeti parts (yuck!). He idly wondered why there was zombie dust or zebra hooves and made a mental note to ask Hermione sometime, if nothing else than to see her go into research mode. Then again, maybe he'd do some research on that subject himself. Now that he thought about it some, it sounded like something pretty interesting.

As the boy looked around the shop, he suddenly realized that he hadn't gotten his Hogwart's letter yet and had absolutely no clue what he needed to buy. He turned abruptly and nearly ran into Remus who was standing right behind him with a slight smile on his weathered face, "Problem, Harry?"

Feeling a little foolish and afraid that he had wasted the older wizard's time, he admitted, "I don't have my letter; I don't have the first clue what I need to buy for fourth year."

Reaching into his robes, Remus pulled out an envelope with Harry's name and the school's crest on it and held it out, "I was wondering when you would realize that. Severus brought your letter when he stopped in this morning and asked me to pass it on to you for our outing today."

It still boggled the mind that Severus Snape, of all people, was really not a bad guy, Death Eater, vampire, or bat, despite all evidence to the contrary leading up to the end of third year. The Potions Master was in reality a spy for the Light, had known Harry's mother Lily since they were children, and, after a rough few years, had become close friends with the Marauders by the end of their schooling at Hogwarts. Snape had to appear to have it in for Harry when he first started at school, but was actually doing everything in his considerable power to keep the boy safe. Having so many children of Death Eaters in his House watching his every move had made life difficult for the professor, but he still managed to keep Harry alive.

After gathering and paying for their ingredients, Remus shrunk everything down to slip into a pocket of his robe before dragging the teen to the cauldron shop to get a new pewter one for school and to Eeylops Owl Emporium to pick up treats for Hedwig. Harry was already eyeing Quality Quidditch Supplies and Remus, nodding in understanding, sent the child into the shop to drool over everything.

"I'll be just over here at the stationary shop to pick up your quills, inks, and parchments, Harry. Please, don't leave the store for any reason; I will be right back to get you. Alright?"

"Yes, sir," Harry responded eagerly, thrilled at the chance to spend some time alone in the shop of his dreams. There were so many different things to look at and touch; he just didn't know where to start. He didn't need to worry about a new broomstick, Sirius had taken care of that for him in third year by getting him his beloved Firebolt. He did, however, spot a practice Snitch that could be put on different settings: hopeless, beginner, better, normal, advanced, professional, and not-a-chance.

Harry was counting how much money he had on him when a hand reached past him and picked up the Snitch. He turned around in surprise and found himself face to beard with none other than Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. He lifted his eyes to meet the ever-twinkling blue gaze and couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, "Good day, Headmaster."

"And a good day to you as well, Mr. Potter. I see you found the latest in Quidditch equipment with this little gem," replied the amiable gentleman.

"Yes, sir, I was just checking to see if I had enough money with me or if I needed to wait on it for a later time."

The elderly wizard smile affectionately down at the boy, "I'm sure that something can be done so that you have this wonderful new invention to hone your already formidable skills to an ever higher level." Still holding the Snitch, Dumbledore began to wander towards the front of the store and inquired back over his shoulder, "I wonder, Harry, if you would do me the honor of joining me for a spot of ice cream?"

Just the thought of one of Florean Fortescue's ice cream sundaes was enough o cause Harry's mouth to begin to water, "I would love to, sir, but I have to wait until Remus comes back to get me. He's just over at the stationary's shop and should be back in just a moment."

"Of course, Harry, of course, I should have thought of that myself. I knew someone would be with you today and of course they would never want you to wander around on your own."

"You knew?"

The old man smiled, "Of course, my boy, I've been in contact with your godfather several times and was also the one to set up the wards around your new residence for the summer for your safety. I suggested that someone pick you up and take you out for your supplies before taking you to…where you're going." Albus looked toward the door, "Ah, here comes Remus now."

Sure enough, the werewolf was stepping through the door and approaching them with a soft greeting for his mentor. The headmaster held out the Snitch Harry had been admiring, "Remus, my boy, Harry has found this delightful contraption to help further his skills as the top Seeker at Hogwarts. Is there any way to see that he gets it?"

"Of course, Albus, I'm already under orders or see to it that he gets some special items while were here, so let this be the first!"

Harry watched in stunned disbelief as Remus accepted the Snitch and turned to place it on the counter. The price was outrageous and the boy immediately caught hold of Moony's robe sleeve, whispering, "It's okay, I don't it, it's way too much!"

Remus patted the child's shoulder reassuringly and murmured, "I have more than enough to spoil you a bit, Harry. Please don't worry about it; things will be explained to you more later."

He squirmed a bit, but kept his mouth shut when the wizard handed over the galleons required. When he gave him the Snitch in a small silver box to carry, he whispered a heartfelt, "Thank you."

"Now, Remus, I was just inviting young Mr. Potter to join me in an ice cream sundae; I do hope that you will allow it and have one yourself?"

"Of course, Headmaster, I was planning on stopping there with Harry next before we went to get his robes."

In short order, the three of them were settled at one of the outdoor tables, mostly hidden from passersby, content to enjoy their sundaes. Unnoticed by his tablemates, Albus made a slight motion with his hidden wand, erecting charms to hide them from prying eyes for a bit, and silencing spells so no one could overhear them. Just as Harry was finishing his, the headmaster spoke up, "Harry, my boy, I was wondering if you could tell me how you acquired that bruise on your cheek?"

Harry's hand rose instinctively to the cheek in question and covered the mark as he tried to hedge, "It's nothing, sir, a misunderstanding at home this morning."

Unfortunately for him, Remus was having none of it, "His aunt slapped him this morning when he burned a pancake at breakfast. Of course, from what I could see of all the food on the table, one pancake wouldn't have made a difference."

"I just started daydreaming and my aunt couldn't get my attention…"

"And why," Remus interrupted, "was there only three place settings at the table, Harry? And the burnt pancake was on the counter with a small bite out of it. Were they making you eat that disgusting thing while standing by the counter rather than joining the rest of the family?"

Harry's face reddened as he scrambled to come up with a placating answer, "I was…uh…it was a waste of food, and…um…I thought since I burned it…I…"

The elderly wizard reached over and placed one gnarled hand lightly on the thin wrist of the stammering boy, "Harry." Green eyes slowly met his, "The truth, please, child."

Undone by the sadness in the man's voice, he let it out, all of it. The fiasco at breakfast, the constant and many chores, the lack of food in general, the slaps, the spankings, the threats, the hatred directed at him by his aunt, the bullying of his cousin, the attempts of his uncle to smooth things over, the feelings of not belonging, never having someone just hug him and tell him what a good job he did, and, finally, the cupboard under the stairs he lived in for so many years.

By the time he finished, Remus was looking as if he were debating between shedding tears for the grief the boy had gone through or heading back to the Dursley household and going feral on them. When Harry looked at Dumbledore, he was stunned to see tears in the old man's eyes that slowly slipped down his cheeks to wet his beard.

"Oh, Harry," he whispered sadly, "My dear Harry, I am so very, very sorry. In my zeal to protect you, I thought that I knew better than anyone else and placed you where I thought you would be loved and cared for. I truly thought that your family would provide everything you needed in life." Albus wiped his eyes with an embroidered handkerchief he pulled out of a pocket, "Harry, how could you ever trust me, believe in me, even listen to me after what you've been through in your young life?"

The teenager wriggled in his seat, completely uncomfortable for all the emotion being shown on his behalf. He hadn't told them because he wanted to get them upset or in tears; Harry had told them because Dumbledore had ASKED him to tell them. He hadn't even thought about the consequences of his words or the impact it would have on the two men listening. It had just felt so good to finally let it all out!

Drawing in a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Albus pulled himself together enough to reach into his robes for a small vial. Pulling out the stopper, he placed one index finger to the opening and tipped the vial to get some of the ointment on it. Lowering it, Albus slowly reached out and lightly, tenderly, rubbed it on the bruising shadowing Harry's cheek.

Trusting in his headmaster, the child didn't flinch at the careful contact and simply allowed him to do as he pleased. To his surprise, the lingering discomfort from the bruising faded with the touch, "What is that, sir?

A sad smile crossed the lined face, "A simple ointment to heal bruising and remove the pain associated with it. At my age, I tend to bump into things and bruise rather easily; so Severus kindly keeps me well supplied with it for just such occasions." He wiped his hands off, re-corked the vial, and used a linen napkin to remove the excess oil from the young wizard's face.

"Thank you, sir, it's much better."

"Oh, Harry," the old man's sadness returning in full measure, "I should never have placed you in a position to have to bear that kind of pain. You've already dealt with more than your fair share of hardships in this life, you deserve someone to look after you, take care of you, and, most of all, love you. I think you will find all of those things in Sirius, and I know for a fact that he is eagerly looking forward to spoiling and coddling you to make up for all the years he couldn't."

"Coddling me?! I'm not a toddler or a baby who needs coddling!"

Harry achieved his goal of making the two men laugh at his reaction to the thought of someone doing such a thing. He desperately wanted to make the mood lighter and making a big deal over something he so eagerly desired seemed to work.

Albus Dumbledore rose and smiled down at his students, former and current, "I think, Harry, that you would do well with a bit of coddling, and I know that Sirius could do with some himself. Perhaps, the two of you can take care of each other for the rest of the summer and see who can out-do the other in the loving care department!"

That being said, the elderly gentleman cancelled his charms around the table, bid them both a good day, and swept away in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron to floo back to the school.

Remus sighed, letting go of his own anger and sorrow at Harry's revelations and rose as well, "You ready to visit Madam Malkin's for your new robes, cub?"

Nodding, Harry bounced to his feet, making the wolf roll his eyes at the obvious display of sugar intoxication the boy was now experiencing, "Yep!"

Standing still for robe measurements was going to be such a joy with a teenager high on sugar. Maybe…

"Hey, Harry, I had a thought. If you can hold still and get your fitting done fast enough, we'll still have plenty of time to stop and Gambol and Japes joke shop if you'd like?"

"Really? You'll let me buy some stuff from there?"

Remus smirked, "I'm not on the faculty this coming year, and you ARE the son and godson of Marauders. I would have to say that it's a requirement for us to make that stop. We just need to make sure that you have plenty of time to go through the shop and make wise decisions on what will work out best for different situations."

Harry grinned as he skipped along, "Think we could find something to brighten up Sirius' day?"

The tall man put one arm around the boy's shoulders, "Harry, I guarantee you; just seeing you walk through the door is going to brighten up his day like a supernova."


	8. Chapter 8 Dobby

Chapter 8 - Dobby

Harry was doing better than Remus had expected as he watched the boy being measured by Madam Malkin. The witch was murmuring instructions to him as her tape measure whizzed around him in magical agitation and she took notes. Just as she was finishing with the tape, a _pop_ was heard from outside, prompting Remus to whirl towards the door, wand at the ready to defend his charge.

The door flew open as a gleeful, squeaky voice cried, "Mister Harry Potter, Sir! Dobby is so happy to be seeing you again!"

The werewolf lowered his wand and slipped it back into his holster as the little house elf scurried past him and began hopping up and down in front of Harry. He'd heard the story of Harry's second year, the elf causing him problems as it tried to protect him in its own way, the battle with the basilisk, and how the boy ended up freeing the elf from his dreadful master, Lucius Malfoy, reinforcing the evil man's hatred.

"Hello, Dobby, how has your summer been?"

The elf's eyes filled with tears as he gazed in rapt adoration at the child before him, "Oh, for Harry Potter Sir to ask Dobby such a question only proves just how kind and generous and good and caring and great and..."

"Dobby!" The "great" young wizard interrupted gently, "What have I told you about all that?"

The elf's large ears drooped as he looked away, "Mister Harry Potter Sir has told Dobby that Dobby should not call him such things." The creature lifted shining eyes to the face of the child he so worshiped, "But Harry Potter is all those things and so much more to us lowly house elves. Harry Potter has given Dobby a new life at Hogwarts by freeing him from his old master and Dobby will be forever loyal to Mister Harry Potter Sir!"

The object of his idolization squirmed a bit as the two adults in the room smothered the chuckles hastily, not wishing to either offend the elf or make the boy more uncomfortable. Madam Malkin gestured for him to step down, announcing that she was done with her measurements, she just needed to know how many, color, and style of robes he needed.

Harry, reverting easily back to his upbringing and knowing he didn't deserve much, responded simply, "Three black school robes, Gryffindor crest, hat, and gloves for classes."

Remus, standing behind the boy, caught Madam Malkin's eye and shook his head slightly at her. She seemed to be nodding at Harry as she acknowledged the man's obvious plan to change the order she was getting. Lightly placing one hand on the thin shoulder he suggested, "Harry, why don't you and your friend relax here for a few minutes, I need to place an order as well."

"Sure, Remus, no problem," Harry agreed. He stepped away from the adults to sit in some comfortable chairs set up nearby and invited Dobby to join him, bring about another flood of tearful accolades.

Once he got the elf to calm down, he again asked him about his summer. The over-eager elf chattered on about things at school and how the other elves treated him; some were in awe that he was free and being paid for his labors, some simply looked at him as just another elf, and some did their very best to ignore him, believing him to be a very bad elf to want to be free and be paid fr his work.

"But Dobby does not care what those others think. Mister Harry Potter saw to Dobby's freedom and now, Dobby is better able to watch over Harry Potter at Hogwarts!"

Harry clamped down on the need to roll his eyes in agony at the thought of the ever-so-helpful Dobby dogging his steps for the next four years and managed to say, "That's great, Dobby, I glad you're free and happy to be at Hogwarts."

"Oh, yes, Mister Harry Potter Sir, Dobby is delirious with joy at being free and Dobby loves to be at Hogwarts!"

The boy glanced a little desperately in the direction of his companion, hoping he would be done soon so he could escape. Seeing that Remus was looking over some material with the proprietress, he sighed and turned back to the elf, "So, Dobby, what brings you to Diagon Alley today?"

The already huge eyes widened even more in horror and filled, yet again, with tears, "Oh, sir, Dobby is such a bad elf! Dobby forgots to give you the letter! Dobby was so overcome with joy at seeing Harry Potter Sir that he completely failed in his duty!" With that, the elf began to bash his head against the wall beside the chair Harry was seated in and chomp down on his fingers to punish himself.

Reacting swiftly, Harry's hand shot out and caught the creature by the back of the shorts he was wearing, pulling him away from the wall and hissing, "Dobby! Stop that!"

The elf froze instantly and stared at his idol, "Harry Potter Sir is much to good for Dobby to associate with. Harry Potter's greatness in stopping Dobby from punishing himself will be talked about for generations."

"Merlin, I hope not," the young wizard muttered. He let go of Dobby's shorts once he assured himself the creature was done abusing himself, "Now, Dobby, without hurting yourself anymore, what letter were you talking about?"

With a snap of his fingers, Dobby produced an envelope the color of cream and quite heavy that he solemnly presented, "Master Dumbledore asked Dobby hisself to bring this to Mister Harry Potter and not to let anyone else have it. He is saying that Mister Harry Potter will know what to do with it."

Flipping it over, Harry found that it was addressed to Sirius Black, in care of Harry Potter. Though he was overwhelmed with curiosity as to the contents of the letter, he slipped it inside his robe pocket with a pat, "Thanks, Dobby, I'll take care of it."

Dobby graced him with a huge smile, "Dobby must be getting back to Hogwarts, but he looks forward to seeing Mister Harry Potter very soon!" With a deep bow and another look of complete adoration, the elf disappeared.

Harry sighed; Dobby meant well, he knew, but at the same time, he was exhausting to talk to with his mannerisms, hyper activeness, and the way he spoke to and looked at Harry. He wasn't very comfortable with the idea of the elf worshiping the very ground he stood upon, and hearing his name stated over and over again made he wish never to hear it again.

"Harry?"

Mentally rolling his eyes, the boy rose to meet Remus, "All finished, Moony?"

"Yes, I needed to make sure Madam Malkin ordered the proper items for you as well as get a few things for someone else we know," he replied.

Alarms immediately went off in Harry's head, "What do you mean you made sure she ordered 'the proper items' for me?"

Remus guided the boy out of the shop with one hand lightly pressing against the thin shoulder blades, "Oh, you know, several robes, not just three, a couple of new cloaks, hats, and gloves, and a couple of dress robes."

"Dress robes?!" Harry squeaked, "Why do I need dress robes?"

He smiled in reassurance, "All students forth year and above are supposed to have dress robes for any formal occasions that may come up. However, it is usually a good idea to have them anyway, since you never know when you may be called to the ministry or invited to a dinner."

The young man muttered irritably that Remus had better not have put him in one of those hideous outfits he saw in the window, all that ruffle and lace would drive him murder. A sudden thought popped into his head that he felt needed sharing, "So, Remus, do you think that Voldemort's mother made him wear mauve silk dress robes with pretty pink lace and flounces?" He pointed to a particularly outrageous set of robes that nearly matched his description in Madam's window to drive his point home. "Maybe if we got him a nice set in green without the frills he'd be a little more nice?"

Remus nearly choked on his laughter as he visualized Voldemort in the garish set of robes, complete with an old-fashioned powdered wig, a look of sour disgust pinching his snake-like face. Gaining a bit of control, he placed his arm over the boy's shoulders and squeezed, "Harry, you have got to share that image with Severus and Paddy!"

"Oh, trust me, I plan on it!"

The man's delighted laughter rang out as they made their way to the final shop of the day.


	9. Chapter 9 Ron

Part Nine - Ron

"Harry! Harry, over here!"

The loud voice calling out his name drew unwanted attention to the boy and he shifted uneasily as many eyes were suddenly fixed on him. Some were simply curious to see the Boy-Who-Lived, some were delighted to have the opportunity to crowd around him and ask questions or poke and prod him as if to make sure he was real; but there were others whose looks were not so friendly, who stared at him in anger, hatred, or fear.

He could understand most of the people and their attentions, but the ones he absolutely hated to see were the ones who were afraid of him. They were the ones who watched him as if afraid he would suddenly go mad and turn into something beyond their worst nightmare, something worse than Voldemort. This was the person who killed the Dark Lord when he was just a toddler, imagine what kind of power he had now that he was in his teens!

Remus was trying to be polite to the people gathering around them, but he could feel Harry growing more and more tense by the crowd pressing in. Just as he was about to pull his wand and cast a spell to place a barrier between them and the masses, a loud voice broke through, demanding that they disperse. The werewolf was relieved to see two Aurors, Shacklebolt and Tonks, moving towards them.

The tall dark Auror made sure that everyone was on their way before turning and offering his hand to Remus and greeting him, "Everything alright, gentlemen?"

"Yes, thank you, Kingsley. I really didn't want to have to spell cast, but they weren't about to leave on their own." He turned to the boy who was as close as a shadow to him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Harry, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt and his partner Nymphadora Tonks, Aurors for the Ministry of Magic."

Tonks, whose spiky hair was a blinding shade of neon green, flashed him a brilliant smile, "Wotcher, Harry, and it's just Tonks," she added with a glare at Remus.

"Hello," he responded slowly, extending his hand politely.

Kingsley enveloped it in his large paw and shook firmly, "I don't believe that you will be in need of our services during the rest of your visit, young Mr. Potter, however, we will be close by should something occur."

A heart-felt 'thank you' came from both Harry and Remus, just as Harry was smothered by a sea of red-heads. Remus caught the Auror's wrist as he prepared to protect the boy, "It's alright, they're friends, all evidence to the contrary."

Harry couldn't help but laugh as his best friend Ron, his teammates Fred and George, and their little sister Ginny all converged on him with hugs and slaps on the back. Molly Weasley was bundling along behind her brood and scattered them with a couple of words so she could enfold Harry in a tight embrace.

The teenager was somewhat embarrassed by the motherly affection, while at the same time finding himself almost clinging to her, needing that loving feminine touch she so willingly provided. When he finally let go, he was a bit red in the face, but Molly would have none of it, of course.

"Alright, there, Harry dear? I nearly smacked Ronald when he started hollering at you. Imagine, yelling like that in a crowd." She turned on her youngest son, "Honestly, Ronald, what WERE you thinking?!"

"Aw, mum, I was just trying to get Harry's attention, I didn't mean for all those folks to start pestering him."

Harry clapped his friend on the back, "It's alright, Ron, no harm done."

The group of children turned to Remus and greeted him gladly; he had been their favorite professor last year at Hogwarts and they knew they would miss having him teach Defense.

Ron tugged his friend to one side, "Harry, what are you doing here with Professor Lupin?"

"He brought me here to get my supplies for school, then he's taking me to see Paddy!"

Ron's face was wreathed in confusion, "Paddy?"

Harry glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear, "Paddy," he said meaningfully. The red head continued to look lost. Harry rolled his eyes, "Padfoot." He nearly lost his temper when Ron just stared at him blankly. Honestly, didn't he have a brain at all?! Harry leaned in close and hissed, "Sirius!"

Comprehension finally dawned, "OH!" Ron looked sheepish, "Sorry about that, mate, I didn't have a clue there, did I?"

The dark haired boy just shook his head at his friend, "Never mind, Ron. But, as I was saying, Remus brought me to do my shopping, then we're going to see _him_."

"Hey," Ron suddenly exclaimed, "maybe you can come over and stay at the Burrow for the rest of the summer! I could have mum and dad get in touch with Dumbledore and see if we can..."

"Ron, I just told you that I'm going to see Padfoot. The plan is for me to be able to stay with him until school starts."

"But, Harry," the other boy protested, "I thought you'd love a chance to be away from your relatives and get to hang out with Fred and George and me. We'd all be able to play Quidditch on the pitch at our place, and you know that mum would just love the chance to feed you..."

"RON!" Harry interrupted again, a bit more forcefully, "As much as I would enjoy getting to do all that, I really want to be able to spend some time with him; he IS my godfather, you know."

"But, Harry," the red head continued, still confused, "You told me one time that you don't trust adults, that you just can't after everything you've been through with your aunt and cousin, and your uncle not really doing anything to help. And Snape always on you, and McGonagall not listening to you, and Dumbledore sending you back to your family, even after what you tried to tell him, and..."

At the mention of his family, Harry had noticed the werewolf's attention abruptly re-centered on them and their conversation and he cursed silently. The last thing he wanted was to remind Remus of their earlier talk with the headmaster and everything that had come pouring out. He grabbed the other boy by the arm and announced loudly, "I'm going in to Gamble and Japes Joke Shop, Remus, and Ron's coming with me. We'll be back shortly if that's alright?"

Narrowed amber eyes studied him for a moment before he gave a reluctant nod and was nearly run over by the twins and Ginny as they quickly followed the other two into the shop. Remus made a mental note to get Sirius alone as soon as possible to let him know about his godson so the former prisoner would know to proceed with caution and care with the child.

Inside the shop, Ron, still confused, was protesting, "Harry, what are you doing? What did you drag me in for?"

"Because, Ron, I don't need Remus going starkers over my family. I finally told Dumbledore everything earlier when we ran into him, and Remus was NOT happy when I talked about home life with the Dursleys. He doesn't need to be reminded that my family wanted nothing to do with me and treated me like a freak!"

"But, Harry..."

Harry was starting to hate hearing his name said in such a confused tone of voice by his best friend.

"...if they finally know what was going on, what are they gonna do about it?"

He shook his head, "I have no idea, Ron, but I DO know that I'm going to get to spend time with my godfather and hopefully get to know him a bit." Harry's green eyes went glassy, "I don't remember my parents, outside of the memories the dementors stirred up last year, and I really want to have the chance to be...well...normal, I guess."

"Normal?" Ron queried, "Harry, what do you mean by normal?"

The smaller boy stared blindly at the shelves of jokes, "Normal, you know, with someone who takes care you of, watches over you, worries about you..."

A short laugh broke in as his voice trailed off, "Oh, Harry, you don't want to have someone for that! All parents do is make rules, tell you to do your chores, fuss at you to make sure your homework if done, order you around, tell you what you can and can't do..."

"And love you," Harry finished in a whisper.

Ron studied his friend closely for a silent moment, "Oh, Harry, I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound so bad." He placed a supporting hand on the other boy's shoulder. "You're right, and if anyone deserves a family, it's you."

"OI! Harry! Ron! Hurry up and start picking out some stuff to take with us!" The twins were busily counting their meager money to determine just what they could afford to get and pulling items off the stuffed shelves.

The younger boys shared a long look of understanding before bursting into laughter and dashing over to help.


	10. Chapter 10 Hermione

Part 10 – Hermione

Remus and Molly were standing outside Gamble and Japes waiting for the children to finish their tour of delightful pranks with which to torture unsuspecting adults when they heard their names being called. Both were pleased to turn and find Hermione Granger and her parents approaching, the girl nearly bouncing in her excitement while her parents walked at a more sedate pace as they took in all the sights and sounds of the magical shops surrounding them.

As soon as she was close enough to the adults, Molly swept the girl into an affectionate embrace as Remus greeted her parents with an outstretched hand.

"Mr. Lupin," Mr. Granger smiled as he accepted the handshake, "Hermione's told us so much about you and how much she enjoyed and learned from your classes. It's nice to put a face to the name."

The werewolf flicked a quick glance at the girl who shook her head ever so slightly, letting him know she had not shared his furry little problem with her parents, for which he was extremely grateful. "Mr. Granger, I can tell you honestly that teaching Hermione was both a pleasure and a joy; she is the brightest witch Hogwarts has had in many years."

Both parents beamed in pride at their daughter; they, of course, already knew what a gem they had managed to produce, but to hear someone else offer their unbiased opinion was gratifying.

Just as Molly was about to tell the girl where the rest of the children were, the door to the shop opened and all of them came tumbling out, giggling and chattering about their purchases. Harry was the first to spot his other best friend and hurried toward her, "Hermione!"

"Hi, Harry!" She met him halfway and gave him a fierce hug. The Golden Trio had been through quite a bit over the last three years and was closer than if they had been born to the same family. They shared each others joys and sorrows, triumphs and tragedies; they each knew the other's weakness and were able to compensate with their own strengths. Each brought something special to the friendship, and each completed the other two in some way.

When Ron approached, he was given the same treatment, then both boys politely greeted the parental units as the twins and Ginny caught up with them.

Remus clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention, "Harry and I were getting ready to adjourn to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch, would everyone like to join us? My treat, of course!"

The Grangers excused themselves from lunch, explaining that they had brought their daughter so she could get her shopping done and had been planning on meeting up with the Weasley clan so the girl could spend the remaining summer with them. They were going on a trip to visit family overseas, family that Hermione didn't know and wasn't very interested in seeing, and knew she would be safe with the family of redheads.

The Weasley matron looked long and hard at Remus, trying to figure out how he could possibly pay for all their lunches, but he was simply nodding his encouragement to her. She finally agreed and everyone began trooping back to the entrance of Diagon Alley.

Molly lagged a bit behind, knowing the werewolf would join her, and when he did she asked, "Remus, are you sure about this? It costs a great deal to feed this unruly lot of mine."

He smiled warmly at her; the Weasley family knew of his condition but didn't make a big deal about it and treated him like a human being rather than something to be looked at in disgust and horror, "Yes, Molly, I'm sure. I have more than enough money with me to purchase food for not only us, but half the people in Diagon Alley if you'd like them to come along, too!"

For once, the little busybody didn't try to question him about where he had gotten such a windfall; she just took it at face value and followed her brood through the archway and into the dining room. Once inside, they found several tables they could put together and made themselves comfortable. On one end, Harry sat opposite of Ron and Hermione, with Remus next to him; Ginny sat beside the other girl with her mother next to her and the twins across from them.

Remus left the table to go to the bar and inform the owner, Tom that they were in need of lunch menus and drinks all around. Harry's eyes trailed after his former professor, his mind busy with the knowledge that he was soon going to be able to see Sirius.

Hermione noticed his mind seemed far away, "Harry?" When he didn't respond she tried again in a sing-song voice, "Harry Potter!" Still no reaction, so she leaned across the table slightly and used one finger to trace along the back of his hand, her voice taking on a definite air of teasing, "Oh, Harry Potter, the great and wonderful Boy-Who-Lived, why do you ignore me?" She gave a long suffering sigh, "Oh, Harry Potter, if only you would grace me with your attention!"

Their age-mate was nearly convulsing with laughter over her teasing of their friend and Harry's obliviousness to it as he stared off into space.

"Oh, Harry Potter, you're just so handsome and brave, you epitomize a true Gryffindor in every way imaginable. Oh, Harry Potter, whatever would I do if I didn't have you to endanger my life every year in school? Harry Potter, the boy who lived to drag me into a room with a two-headed dog. Harry Potter, the boy who lived to get me frozen by a basilisk. Harry Potter, the boy who lived to get me scared half to death by an escapee from Azkaban." Hermione leaned a little closer so her words wouldn't be overheard by anyone other than her best friends, "Harry Potter, the boy who threatened to kill Sirius Black and lived!"

A smile blossomed across the dark-haired boy's face and she giggled, knowing he'd been listening to her teasing and ignoring her, "I knew you couldn't resist going all sappy about him!"

Harry ducked his head, still smiling, "I thought I did pretty not reacting to your little comments, Hermione." He pitched his voice falsetto to mimic hers, "Oh, Harry Potter…!" All three of them exploded into laughter just as Remus as returning to the table. He smiled indulgently at them, happy to hear them so relaxed and content just to be with one another; just as he and the rest of the Marauders had been when they'd been younger.

The tranquil atmosphere lasted through lunch and the two adults enjoyed themselves immensely as they watched the group just be kids for a while without the stress of school and the possibility of war hanging over them. As they finished their drinks, Molly reminded her group that they still had one more stop to make and invited Remus and Harry to join them before everyone split up for the time being.

When the boy sent him an eager nod, wanting to spend just a little more time with his friends, the adult wizard agreed and everyone returned to Diagon Alley. Molly had just returned from her foray into the junk store, having left her children, Hermione, and Harry outside with Remus, when several loud _POPS_ were heard nearby.

The group couldn't actually see anything, being on one side of the building and not looking down Diagon Alley itself, but they could hear the scream of people, saw them running, and felt the concussive shockwaves of blasting curses and other magical spells being fired off. Before anyone could move, another _pop _was heard right behind them and long, black-robed arms snaked around Harry and Hermione, pulling them back against a broad chest.

The voice attached to those arms hissed, "_GO!_"

As the two imprisoned children felt themselves being apparated away, the world seemed to explode around them and Hermione felt a stinging pain in one leg.


	11. Chapter 11 Severus

Part 11 – Severus

Never in his life had Remus been so happy to see Severus Snape appear. The man had apparated in behind their group, grabbed Harry and Hermione, and disapparated away from the battle going on in Diagon Alley. As always, the Slytherin's sense of timing was perfect. Just as he was vanishing, someone had shot a curse in their direction and the wolf scrambled to throw up a shield to protect everyone from falling debris; praying he got it all.

He turned to the matron beside him, "Molly, grab Ron and Ginny and get out of here; I'll be right behind you with the twins."

A veteran of the previous war, Molly Weasley wasn't one to panic, and she quickly gathered her two younger children to her and asked, "Where?"

"Hogsmeade, then get to the school."

She nodded once and vanished with a _pop_. Remus began backing up, urging the twins to move further into the shadows, "Grab hold of me, boys, and get ready to apparate."

For once in their lives, neither Fred nor George argued; they pressed close to each other and their former teacher, wrapping their arms around his waist and each other's to hang on tightly. Remus cast a blasting curse of his own to distract their attacker and disappeared.

***************************************

Severus Snape reappeared just outside the gates of Hogwarts, still holding tightly to the children he'd snatched. He released them abruptly, ordering, "Get through the gates," and whirled around to check behind them, making sure that there were no Death Eaters lurking in ambush. When his dark eyes scanned carefully and found nothing, he slowly backed his way onto the school's heavily warded grounds.

Once inside, he ordered the gates to close, and only let pass those who were allowed, meaning of course friends and none of Voldemort's followers. Severus turned away from the gates and found the two kids already on their way up the path to the entrance to the school, a sight which pleased him to no end. He was very glad that they weren't planning on trying to stand and fight, which was Harry's usual motto.

He hurried up the path behind them, glancing repeatedly over his shoulder to watch for enemies and didn't stop until he was at the massive doors.

Harry had pulled, but found that the doors wouldn't open for him, "Professor, how do we get in?"

Hermione stood behind him, leaning against the stone wall, gasping for breath, and drawing the dark haired man's attention instantly. He knew that there had to be something wrong with the child; there was no possible way she could be that out of breath from the journey from the gates.

Severus flicked his wand silently at the doors and they creaked open as he turned all of his focus on, "Miss Granger?"

The teen straightened up and managed to take three steps before one leg gave out from under her and she collapsed into Snape's ready arms. Without waiting, he simply gathered the girl up completely and bolted for the dungeons, silently cursing himself for not having checked them both when they first arrived.

"Harry, are you injured in any way?"

"No, sir," replied the dark haired boy as he kept pace with the tall man. "It looks like Hermione got impaled by something as you apparated us out of there." He dared a glance up at his face, "Sir? What happened?"

"A Death Eater attack. I was able to apparate into Diagon Alley just before they all arrived, spotted your group outside the junk shop, and popped in behind you so I could get you to safety. She happened to be the closest one to you, so I grabbed her as well."

"Thank you, sir," he whispered.

He merely nodded, returning his attention to the child in his arms, "Miss Granger, can you tell me what hurts?"

"My left leg feels like it's on fire, other than that, I think I'm okay." She looked around as they careened around a corner, "Sir, aren't you going to get me to the Infirmary?"

He shook his head, "Poppy is gone and I haven't had a chance to replenish her supplies as yet. I need to get you to my chambers and my private lab so I can start brewing potions for you."

They stopped in front of a painting of Salazar Slytherin himself and Severus murmured a phrase in Latin, causing the door to open for them. Hurrying inside, he gently settled the girl onto the dark brown couch in front of the hearth and flicked his hand at the grate, creating a fire to chase away the chill.

That taken care of, Snape bent to examine closely the injury to Hermione's leg. She had been impaled by a long piece of metal, about two inches in diameter, which had gone deeply into her calf muscle. Pulling out his wand, he cast a quick diagnostic spell and found that it was imbedded about three and a half inches deep and bacteria were already flooding the area.

He sat gingerly on the edge of the couch beside her and beckoned Harry closer, "Miss Granger, I need to brew a pain reliever, a wound cleaning potion, something to rebuild the tissue, and something kill the bacteria. I will endeavor to complete these as soon as possible, but I am only one person, however talented, and it will take time."

"I'll help."

Surprised, the man turned his attention to the boy, "You have never shown much interest in potions before, what makes you think you can be a help and not a hindrance?"

Harry was a bit taken aback by the fact that the potions master wasn't being snarky or vicious, he merely wanted to know that the boy actually could be of use in brewing. He looked directly into the obsidian eyes before him, "Actually, sir, I have always been very interested in potions and, if you looked at my homework, you could see that I understood the theory even if someone did always sabotage my actual work in the lab."

"He's right, sir. Harry is quite good at brewing, if Malfoy and his goons aren't around to mess him up."

Rising to his feet, Snape nodded, "Very well, Harry, come with me and I'll have you brew the pain reliever and wound cleaning potion. I will tackle the anti-bacterial and tissue regrowth."

Making sure Hermione was as comfortable as possible for the moment, he led the boy to his private lab and the two of them began setting out everything they needed for their respective potions. Severus watched the teen for a moment, silently acknowledging that he was gathering the correct ingredients and tools.

"Harry, if you have any questions at all, aren't sure about something, or feel overwhelmed at any time, please don't hesitate to say something. I will be right here with you the whole time."

Harry nodded, "I will, sir." He then set about filling his cauldrons, slicing, dicing, peeling, crushing, and mixing everything exactly as they should be. Once his potions had been bubbling for the correct amount of time, Harry removed them from the heat so they could set for 15 and 20 minutes as required.

Once he was satisfied that Harry was indeed doing things correctly, Severus also set about his own potions, both of which were much more complicated, though they didn't need much actual brewing time. They did, however, need to be stirred at exact moments and in certain directions while precisely prepared ingredients were added.

Absently, he knew that Harry had finished his brewing, but he didn't take his concentration away from his own to double check; hoping and praying that the boy had gotten it right so he didn't have to redo it and embarrass him.

Finally, the tissue regrowth was ready and needed bottling, but his anti-bacterial required constant stirring at this phase. Severus turned his head to find the teen watching him closely, "Harry, would you get one of the large dark blue vials from the second cabinet on the left, please?"

He nodded and quickly made his way to the correct door, pulling it open to find several dozen bottles and vials in all sizes and colors within. Gently pushing a few out of the way, he at last spotted one he thought matched the professor's description and took it out. He returned to the man's side and offered his finding for approval.

Snape's eyes glittered for a moment, "Very good, Harry, that's the one I need." He motioned with his chin to the finished brew, "Would you bottle that for me, please?"

Surprise flashed across the thin face, but Harry immediately turned to the cauldron and started to grab the nearest ladle, a copper one. Severus opened his mouth to tell him no, copper would negate the effects of the potion, rendering it completely useless. Instead, his mouth dropped completely open in shock as Harry set the copper one aside and chose a ladle cast from a mixture of bronze and silver.

Exercising great care, the boy dipped the ladle in the steaming cauldron and smoothly drizzled it into the vial. He repeated his action until it was filled one inch from the top, he then placed the stopper in the opening and set it down in the middle of the table so it wouldn't get accidently knocked over.

Harry turned back to the professor and pointed at the anti-bacterial brew, "What should I get for that potion, sir?"

Fortunately, even in his shock that the boy had known what ladle to use, Snape's body remembered instinctively what motions it needed for each potion he mixed and it was almost completed. He nodded to the last cabinet on the right, "An amber bottle, medium in size, please, Harry."

The young wizard opened the indicated door and searched for the correct bottle, finding several within that matched the minimal description given. He scoured his memory for anything he had ever heard or read about this particular potion and settled on two that he felt would suffice. He turned back and found dark eyes watching him intently, so he held both up.

Severus was again stunned, but covered it well as he indicated the bottle in the left hand. Their sizes were identical, but they were slightly different in color with one being more yellow than true amber. It was still amazing that Harry had chosen them out of all the bottles her knew to be in that cabinet.

Harry appeared at his side, offering his finding, and Snape asked him to bottle the potion for him. Once again, Harry by-passed another ladle to pick out the one made of solid oak and filled the amber container appropriately.

"Sir?"

Severus was startled out of his internal musings by the soft voice and fixed his gaze on the green eyes watching him, "Yes, Harry?"

"Where can I find the clear vials for my potions, sir?"

He pointed to the first cabinet silently and, as the boy scurried over to get what he needed, turned to check on the remaining two potions his student had prepared. Leaning over the cauldrons, Severus found them absolute perfection in color and consistency; they could have been made by a master!

Harry slipped into place beside him again and quickly, efficiently, bottled his brews and set them in front of the tall man, staring at them fixedly.

"Harry Potter."

He lifted his eyes to meet the potions master, astonished and bewildered by the note of pride he heard in the man's deep silky voice, "Sir?"

"Harry, I think I have made a fool of myself and you over the last three years, and I promise you that it will not happen again."

The boy watched him in confusion as Severus began to gather up the four perfect potions, "I…I don't understand, sir."

The Slytherin gently captured his chin, "Harry, I couldn't be more proud of you if you were my own son. You have an instinct about potions few people ever do, an instinct I must add that your mother was blessed with. I know that I never talked in classes, or gave in homework assignments, about the appropriate ladles used for certain potions, yet you used the proper one for both of mine with no prompting."

The green eyes took on a soft sheen of tears at the unexpected praise and admittance of pride in him from the man whom he thought hated him. After opening and closing his mouth a couple of times, Harry found his voice again, "Thank you, sir. I was actually fascinated with the idea of potions class when I first started, but you didn't seem to like me, and every time one of my potions was actually coming out right, one of the Slytherins would sabotage it. I did really well in Muggle chemistry in school, so I hoped it would be somewhat like that…"

"And you're very first day I put you on the spot, asking questions no Muggle-born or Muggle-raised would know, well, except of course for Miss Granger. I was angry that you weren't paying attention to me when I was talking and took that anger out on you. For that, and all the other cruelties I imposed on you, I deeply and humbly apologize."

Feeling greatly daring with the sudden accord he seemed to have found with the spy, Harry caught hold of the man's forearm as his chin was released, "Sir, just so you know, I wasn't ignore you or not paying attention that day, I was actually taking notes on what you were saying. I was so scared that I would make a fool out of myself that I ended up making things worse."

Severus deposited the bottles on the table beside them and gathered the now trembling boy into his arms, whispering soothing reassurances to him, promising that things would be better in the future. Feeling completely safe for the first time ever with the dark haired teacher, Harry relaxed into the comforting embrace and cried for all the mistakes they had both made since he'd begun attending Hogwarts. Things could have been so different for both of them…if only…

The older wizard eventually began to straighten up, releasing the now quiet child from his arms, "I think we need to get these potions to Miss Granger before she comes looking for us and offering to show us how to prepare a proper potion."

Harry gave a watery laugh as he used his fingers to wipe at his face. Snape gave a sigh and conjured a handkerchief for him, waving it in the boy's face to get him to use it. He took it with a soft word of thanks and went to the sink to wash up a bit while the adult wizard cast an_ evanesco _to clean everything up.

He returned to the man's side and smiled when he felt a large, warm hand come to rest around the nape of his neck and squeeze gently before guiding him out of the lab and back to the couch in the other room. He felt bad about his breakdown when he saw his best friend shivering from shock and glassy-eyed with pain.

Snape settled next to the young witch again and tipped her head back to pour the pain reliever down her throat. Within a few moments, the pain was gone and the girl's body drooped in relief.

"Miss Granger, I will need to remove the object imbedded in your leg in order to finish your care. To do this, I will need to numb your leg. Have I your permission to do so?"

Just as she nodded, a loud knocking sounded from the door to Snape's personal chambers. He rose from the girl's side, fairly certain who it was but not wanting to take any chances, and approached the entryway. After murmuring a spell that revealed who was on the other side, he opened the door wide enough for the children to see Remus standing there impatiently.

"Who was hurt and how serious is it?"

One black brow rose as the potions master stepped aside and gestured broadly for the werewolf to enter. The former professor swiftly crossed the room and pulled Harry into a hard embrace, relieved to find him well. Snape closed the door, "The Weasley clan?"

"Home," came the short answer. "Albus opened his floo so they could return to the Burrow." His amber eyes skimmed over the injured girl, "How bad is it?"

"A minor impalement, though I'm sure Miss Granger feels as if there is a flag pole sticking out of her leg. I was able to remove it so I could administer the appropriate potions."

Remus nodded in understanding and finally released Harry from his grip, "What do you need me to do?"

Knowing that the werewolf would be a great help for this, Severus quickly set about his preparations, "I will numb the leg from the knee down, if you can hold it still, I will remove the object and pour in the wound cleaning potion. Once that's done, we can add the anti-bacterial and tissue regrowth. Miss Granger should be back on her feet by morning."

Remus nodded and knelt next to the couch as Severus cast a spell to deaden the leg. Snape then looked at the boy, "Harry, I need you to help distract Miss Granger from what we're doing. The spell numbs most of the feeling, but not all, that's why I need Lupin to help her still. Can you do that?"

He nodded and sat right by the trembling girl's head, "Yes, sir."

As Harry began talking softly to his best friend, Severus conjured a thick towel to put under the wound, caught the werewolf's eyes, and nodded. Remus made sure his grip was good and nodded back. With one swift movement, he removed the piece of metal and poured the potion onto the leg. The liquid bubbled and frothed as it did what it was designed to do: deep cleaning of the wound and disinfecting it as well.

Hermione had jerked slightly when he pulled the metal out and again when the potion began working, but she couldn't move much with the hold Remus had on her. Harry kept telling her she was doing great and how much better she would be feeling soon, and she finally rolled her eyes at him, "Harry, no offense, but right now, I don't care how much better I'll feel later. Even with the numbing spell, it hurts!"

Severus leaned over Remus and offered her a bit more pain reliever to help, which she gratefully accepted. He then gestured for the wolf to release the girl and dosed her heavily with the anti-bacterial and tissue regrowth potions, then bandaged her leg tightly. Once he was done, he reached into his robes and pulled out one more small vial, "Miss Granger, this is a sleeping potion to let your body rest so the other potions can do their job. You should sleep for several hours, so I would suggest that you allow me to escort you to the Weasley's home, and then administer this. I have little doubt that Molly Weasley can properly care for you tonight and she can contact me in the morning should something further be needed."

The girl nodded and was gathered up into the professor's arms once again. The quartet made their way to the headmaster's office, who was quite agreeable in allowing Severus and Hermione to use his floo after she gave Harry a quick hug good bye.

Remus turned to the boy, "Alright, Harry, it's our turn. Are you comfortable using the floo?" The teen nodded, "Alright then. Our destination is "Paddy's Place", got it?"

"'Paddy's Place', I got it, Moony."

Remus threw in a handful of powder and stepped into the green flames as he called out his destination. Harry thanked the headmaster, took his own handful, and followed.


	12. Chapter 12 Sirius

Part 12 – Sirius

Harry had forgotten how much he hated traveling by floo: the flashing lights of other grates zipping by, the smell, the choking ash; all in all, a not so fun way to get from point A to point B. He would never forget when he flooed from the Burrow just before his second year and ended up in a nasty shop in Knockturn Alley.

Then, of course, there were the landings once you reached your destination.

He tumbled out of the fireplace and straight into a werewolf. Fortunately, this particular werewolf was Remus Lupin, and he had already been prepared to catch the boy as he came through. He cast a quick _scourgify _on the teen, clearing away the ash and soot from his face and robes, and grinned when the child muttered something about the vile means of travel.

"Harry Potter."

His head snapped up at the sound of that soft, velvet voice, and he found himself staring into warm, fathomless grey eyes. "Sirius," he whispered, taking a couple of hesitant steps forward. He wanted so badly to feel that he belonged with this man, his godfather, but he had no idea how to ask without coming across like a needy three year old.

As if reading his mind, Sirius solved his problem for him by opening his arms and offering a safe haven. Harry flew across the remaining few steps between them, buried his face in the man's chest, and wrapped his arms around him in a desperate embrace. It couldn't be possible that only a couple of months ago, this man had been a stranger he thought was trying to kill him. An escaped convict bent on revenge that had been responsible for the deaths of James and Lily Potter. Just one night had changed everything in the boy's mind.

This man had been his father's best friend, had been best man at the Potter's wedding, had been named as Harry's godfather at his birth, had actually escaped Azkaban in an effort to capture and kill the real traitor in order to protect Harry from facing the same fate as his parents, and had offered the young wizard a home as soon as his name was cleared, even after having just found the boy again after 12 years in prison. Sirius Black might be an impulsive man who tended to leap before he actually looked, but his devotion to his godson was absolute. When Harry had been born, Sirius had felt as if he'd been granted a son as well, all without having to deal with the headaches and hassles that went with it. He adored Harry as an infant and to this day regarded him as his own child.

He held the teenager tightly, pressing the boy's ear to his heart so he could hear its reassuring beat and know that he was safe and where he belonged. Sirius could feel the frantic hold and slight shudders that were running through the thin body attached to his chest; he knew the child was crying, but wasn't sure the reasons. Tenderly, the adult wizard carded his fingers through the thick black hair and murmured reassurances to him until he felt Harry's grip easing.

When the teen finally looked up at him, he smiled warmly down at him, "I missed you so very much, Harry James Potter, and I'm very glad that you're here where you belong."

Green eyes swimming with tears, Harry clung to the man's shirt with both fists, not quite ready to let go, "I'm glad I'm here, too, Sirius. I really missed you."

Trying to lighten the mood a bit, Remus piped up, "Merlin's ghost, you'd think the two of you had been separated for 12 years rather than a couple of months…hmmm…now that I think about it…never mind!"

Sirius exploded with one of his deep bark-like laughs, "Exactly, Moony, 12 years AND a couple of months!" One large hand came up to cup around the child's cheek, "But now, you're here and I will do everything in my power to be the father you've never known."

A blinding smile lit Harry's face, "I'd like that, Sirius, I really would."

Sirius gave him another tight hug before turning to his friend, "Food, Moony! We need food! I know why I'm still so thin, it's going to take a while for me to rebuild everything I lost in Azkaban, but Harry is much too thin, even for a growing boy!"

"There's a reason Harry's as thin as you, Padfoot, but that can wait until after we get some food into the three of us," Remus replied as he turned and headed for the kitchen. "Why don't you give Harry a quick tour of the house, while I put something together for supper?"

"Excellent idea, Mr. Moony; Mr. Padfoot agrees wholeheartedly with that idea!" He wrapped one arm around the boy to lead him from room to room as he told him about the place they were staying, "This, Harry, is obviously the sitting room of Paddy's Place; here next door is the library." The library would have sent Hermione into fits of glee with its floor to ceiling and wall to wall bookshelves filled to overflowing with books on hundreds of different subjects.

"That hallway leads to the kitchen, dining room, and formal dining room."

"Why do you need a dining room and a formal dining room," Harry inquired.

Sirius stopped dead in the middle of the floor, completely flummoxed by the question, "You know, pup, I haven't got a clue. Of course, I also don't know why I have a sitting room, living room, and formal living room, either."

The boy snickered, "Three rooms with the exact same purpose? That makes no sense!" He clapped a hand over his mouth suddenly, realizing he probably sounded as if he were criticizing the man over his home.

His godfather, however, didn't seem to think so as he agreed completely. "Oh, well! A puzzle for another time; on with the tour!" He led the way upstairs, pointing out his suite of rooms, the ones Remus would be living in, and then opened a door and stepped in, drawing the boy with him, "This will be your suite, Harry. We can change whatever you want, decorations, colors, furniture…whatever your heart desires!"

The room they stepped into was arranged as a study, complete with a large desk, table for four with comfortable chairs, and bookshelves filled with everything a Hogwart's student would need for studying. A door across from the one to the hallway was opened to reveal a bedroom completely decked out in Gryffindor colors. The huge bed was canopied in scarlet with a deep gold cover, the floor was hardwood with rugs done in scarlet and gold scattered around, with one large rug right next to the bed created with the Gryffindor badge on it. A large armoire sat in one corner, more bookshelves, a wonderful little nook with a wide window seat covered in cushions looked out into the garden below had a heavy drape that could be pulled across to keep out the light when he wanted to sleep in, a small fireplace, and best of all, a very large picture of Lily and James Potter taken on their wedding day hung in honor across from the bed.

Harry felt tears well up in his eyes as his parents waved at him from the picture and his mother blew his kisses. Sirius stepped up behind him and placed his hands tenderly on the thin shoulders, "If it hurts too much, I can move the picture to another room."

"NO!" Harry cried out, turning to face his godfather. "I…I…I mean, no, please; don't move it, I love it. Thank you, Sirius, thank you for everything."

He ruffled the boy's dark hair, "You're very welcome, Harry, but we're not quite done." He directed him to another door that revealed a walk-in closet filled with everyday clothes, nicer clothes, shoes of all kinds, boots for hiking, walking, riding, slippers, and other things he would get to discover later.

"Sirius! This is too much; you shouldn't have gone through so much trouble for me!" Harry protested.

"It was no trouble at all, pup, and I wanted to get you all these things." He drew the boy out of the closet, "Now, come see your bathroom."

It was as spectacular as the rest of the suite with its tile work done in creamy blues and greens. Harry rather thought that the bathtub was almost large enough to swim laps in and he could get lost in the sheer size of the shower and all the knobs and heads poking out of different walls and the ceiling. The vanity was large with a double sink and, he couldn't hold back his laughter, the toilet was cushioned for the comfort of the user.

Sirius grinned at him as they returned to the bedroom, then he pointed to the fireplace, "It's completely useable and makes the room quite cozy when it's cold outside." Then his gaze darkened as he turned to the boy, "However, it is NOT hooked up to the floo network, so it cannot be used for either travel or conversation. I want no surprises popping into this house while you are in residence. Your safety and wellbeing are very high on my priority list. If you need to use the floo for something, let me or Moony know and we'll open the connection with a password."

Harry climbed up on the high bed as his godfather draped himself across one end, "Sirius, how is it that you have this house and the aurors haven't found you here."

Sirius smiled, "This house was a private gift to me by a relative who has passed away and is completely unplotable with the Fidelius Charm. The Ministry couldn't find this house if I set up a gigantic neon sign that screamed 'Sirius Black lives here, come and get him!'"

The teen gave a sign of relief, not wanting anything to happen to his guardian, especially when he had only found him so recently! He saw a movement by the door and stiffened in surprise when a silvery leopard slipped into the room and approached them.

Sirius, catching the boy's expression, was off the bed and on his feet with a wand in his hand before Harry could even draw breath to ask what it was. Seeing the creature, he dropped his arm, "It's alright, Harry, this is Remus' patronus."

He nodded to the leopard and it opened its mouth, Remus' voice echoing from it, "Paddy, Harry, lunch." The silver animal then faded away.

"Cool!"

With a grin, Sirius turned to face his godson, "Is that a 'cool' it's time to eat, or a 'cool' that he sent a patronus to tell us?"

"I didn't know you could get a patronus to talk!" Harry exclaimed as he hopped off the bed, "Do you think I could learn to do that?"

Sirius slipped an arm around the teen's shoulders and began leading him down to the kitchen, "Harry, my boy, I have absolutely no doubt at all that you could learn it. But right now, let's eat!"

**************************************

Lunch was a relaxed affair made up of toasted ham and cheese sandwiches and a hearty stew, washed down with milk; plenty of healthy calories for all three males who could do with some meat on their bones. After eating, they retired to the sitting room, where Remus gently coaxed Harry into explaining to his godfather everything that had happened to him while living in the care of his Aunt Petunia.

After an explosion that had a terrified Harry shivering in the corner of the couch he was sitting on, Sirius collapsed onto the cushion beside him and hauled the trembling form into his arms. Unerringly, the long fingers began their rhythmic stroking through his dark hair and that velvet voice whispered reassurances and apologies.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry you went through all that. I really am a selfish fool to have gone after Peter rather than seeing to you. If I had gone straight to Dumbledore and demanded you, this never would have happened. If I had just thought about what I was doing…"

"…then it would have been the first time in your life, Padfoot," Remus stated softly. His friend stared at him, "You know I'm right, Sirius; you've always been the hothead who shot off his wand and his mouth before thinking about what the consequences could be. Normally, James or I were there to pick up the pieces and smooth things over. That time…" The werewolf's voice trailed off in remembered pain, the pain of losing two friends to the Dark Lord, another to Azkaban accused of murdering another friend and having Dumbledore refuse him contact with Harry.

"Lovely," Sirius muttered sarcastically, "let's all join hands and start a pity party rather than figuring out where we go from here."

Moony sat up and glared, "Hey, you started it, you know!"

Not up to another Black tantrum while he was still shaking from the force of the first one, Harry intervened, "What do you mean, Sirius?"

Snuggling the child closer to his lean body for comfort, though which of them needed the comfort he wasn't sure, Sirius replied, "Well, you obviously aren't going back to that house every again, blood wards or not. However, I'm still wanted by the Ministry and Remus is a werewolf; but, this place should be completely safe for you to stay since it can't be found."

"We just need to make sure that no one knows where you are and with whom you're staying," Remus stated. "If they knew you were keeping company with a convict and a werewolf, heads would roll and wands would snap."

Harry pressed tighter to Sirius' warm side, "I don't want to go back there," he whispered. "I can't go back to being a nobody and a freak."

"Never!" Sirius growled, "You are NOT a freak; and you're not a nobody. You are the son of James and Lily Potter, my godson, Moony's nephew if you claim him, and the best friend of Ron and Hermione. Severus Snape guards you with his life, Hagrid dotes on you, and the Weasley clan sees you as another one of theirs. Never think that you're a nobody!"

Contrary to Sirius' harsh tone of voice as he tried to convince the boy of his worth, his hands continued to stroke over the dark hair softly, calming the riot of emotions seething in the teen's mind. He could not recall another moment in his life when he felt so loved and cherished by another individual. He knew that he was wanted and that he had found his place in someone's life. Right here. With Sirius.

***************************************

Completely worn out by the emotions of the evening and the excitement of the day (just something else that had nearly sent Sirius into orbit when he heard about the Death Eater attack), Harry went up to his suite to unpack the items Remus had been carrying in his pockets. He had just finished putting the last of the new clothes away in his closet and walked back into the bedroom to find Sirius sprawled out elegantly across the foot of his bed.

"Ready for some shuteye, pup?"

"I think so, I'm pretty knackered." He grabbed a pair of sleep shorts and tee shirt and disappeared into the bathroom for a few minutes. When he came out, his godfather had already pulled back his blankets and was waiting patiently to tuck him in. Part of him was indignant that he was almost 14 and didn't need to be tucked in like a toddler. But the other part of him, the neglected, lonely, fearful, desperate part, yearned to by shown this kind of love and affection.

He nearly dove into the bed and settled down on his stomach facing Sirius as the man drew the covers up to his waist and settled down to sit beside him. "Close your eyes, Harry, and I'll tell you a little about how your dad, Remus, and I met."

Harry closed his eyes, letting the soft voice wash over him, bringing him a peace he'd never known. As he talked, Sirius began to lightly rub the boy's back with one large hand, subtly encouraging him to relax further into sleep. Once he felt Harry's muscles all go limp, the animagus slid his fingers through the dark tousled hair and leaned over to press a tender kiss to the lightning bolt scar on the child's forehead. He rose cautiously, not wanting to wake his godson, and whispered, "Good night, pup, I love you."


	13. Chapter 13 Just Harry

Part 13 – Just Harry

Agonized screams pierced through the silent house, waking Sirius instantly from the deep contented sleep he had finally found. He exploded from his rooms into the hallway and straight across to Harry's door, nearly ripping it from its hinges. Wand at the ready, he stepped into the bedroom, prepared to do battle with whatever he found inside.

What he found was his godson writhing on the bed, clawing at his head in anguish, screams still being torn from his throat. Setting his wand on the nightstand next to the bed, Sirius caught hold of the teen's wrists and pulled them down, wincing at the sight of the self-inflicted scratches on the face before him.

Remus entered behind him, wand also drawn, and hurried to join him, "What's wrong? Is he having a nightmare or is it something with Voldemort?"

"Voldemort?!" Sirius demanded. "Why would this have something to do with Voldemort?"

"I can't explain it, Padfoot, but he has this connection with Voldemort and sometimes Harry's scar hurts when he's dealing with him."

Sirius nearly went through the roof when the realization hit that his precious godson could possibly be tortured by an evil wizard that was supposed to be dead! Nearly strangling on his rage, the adult wizard brought himself under control and pulled the boy into an upright position, sliding to sit behind him, and settling the child against his torso. He crossed his arms over Harry's and held them down while he pressed the teen backwards and began to speak softly in his ear.

Once he knew Sirius had the boy safe from harming himself, Remus bolted to the downstairs floo and put in a firecall to Hogwarts.

*************************************

Severus stepped through the fire gracefully and was greet by sight of a distraught werewolf on the other side of the room, peering out the door and up the stairs.

"Remus?"

"Hurry, Sev, I can still hear Harry's cries, he's not out of whatever is going on!"

They were about halfway up the steps when the Slytherin finally heard the screams that had led to him being brought here to help. He followed the wolf into the bedroom and found Black holding the Boy-Who-Lived in an effort to prevent injury to either of them while the child convulsed weakly in his arms. Bloody scratches covered Harry's face and Sirius' arms while dots of it had splattered all over the bed and both its inhabitants.

"Sev, thank Merlin! Any ideas would be helpful here!"

He dropped the bag he'd brought with him on the foot of the bed, "Impatient as always, Padfoot. Trust me; I will do my very best." Severus pulled out his wand and cast a diagnostic spell over the boy. "Well, the good news is, it isn't something related to you-know-who."

"And the bad news?" Remus inquired.

"It appears that Harry is experiencing a severe night terror," Severus announced.

Sirius lifted his gaze from the child in his arms to the man standing beside them and snarled, "If you see my eyes glaze over, Snape, take that to mean I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

Remus nodded, "Neither do I, Sev; what is a night terror and how is it different from a nightmare?"

The professor easily slipped into lecture mode and began to inform them of what they were dealing with, "Nightmares are brought on by dreams, visual creations of the mind that turn bad and cause fear in the subject. Night terrors, which are more rare, can happen when someone doesn't have the proper diet, get enough sleep, is dealing with a great amount of stress in their lives, and can also be genetic. In adolescents and adults, night terrors are often trauma-based, and the person can also show signs of passivity, anxiety, and the ability to ignore pain." He shared a look with the other two men and asked facetiously, "Sound like anyone we know?"

Harry's cries had begun to dwindle during Sev's dissertation on terrors and he suddenly slumped back against Sirius, completely relaxed and in a deep sleep. Severus pulled an ointment out of his bag, along with some soft cloth and applied it to the scratches marring the child's face and neck. The marks completely disappeared after one pass of the cloth, leaving his face unblemished except for the lightning bolt on his forehead. The animagus sighed in relief and gently settled the child back onto the bed and tucked him in, motioning the others to step out to the study area as he cast a _scourgify_ to clean up the blood splatters.

Once he joined them, Sirius softly closed the door and turned to his friends, "Go back to bed, Remus, the full moon's only a week away and you need your rest. Sev, why don't you go ahead and crash here for the rest of the night; you can use your old room."

One black eye brow lifted as the potions master studied the grey eyed Marauder, "And you will be doing…what?" He caught hold of Sirius' arms and spread the ointment he'd used on Harry's face over the scratches there.

Sirius pointed back to the Gryffindor's bedroom when his arms were free, "I'm going to sleep in there with him in case he needs me."

It was Remus' turn to lift his brows, "And he's going to think what when he wakes and finds an adult male he doesn't know very well in his bed with him."

"There won't be an adult male in his bed," and with that, Sirius transformed into a huge black dog. He bumped the door demandingly with his nose and Severus made a snide comment about doing things for himself _BEFORE _he changed into a bloody dog without hands. The dog growled softly and scratched at the door this time, prompting Remus to open it before he woke Harry. The two men watched from the doorway as the animagus jumped lightly up onto the bed and lay down beside the teen who was now on his stomach. He stretched out his large form cautiously and draped his head across Harry's back before heaving a deep sigh and closing his eyes.

Remus and Severus slipped silently away to their own rooms to return to their interrupted slumber.

*****************************************

Harry woke the next morning with his face buried in the neck of a black dog and his arms wrapped around its rib cage. Startled, he lifted his head and looked down at the animal, "Sirius?"

The wizard had awakened as soon as he felt Harry move and he now jumped down from the bed and transformed back, "Morning, pup! You had a pretty nasty night terror last night and I wanted to stay and make sure you were alright. I figured you wouldn't mind sharing the bed."

Yawning and stretching as he crawled out of bed, the boy nodded and teased, "As long as you don't have fleas." He laughed at the insulted look he was given, and then asked, "So what are night terrors?"

Sirius calmly explained what they were and carefully avoided telling him just how horrible the experience had been, "How are you feeling?"

Harry paused as he was gathering up clothing for the day and took stock of his body, "My throat feels scratchy, like I might be coming down with something and I'm a little stiff, especially my arms."

The animagus nodded as if not surprised, "Well, you go in and wash up, I'll see what plans are for breakfast, and you come on down when you're ready."

"Okay." Harry disappeared into the bathroom as his godfather left and was stunned to find the bathtub nearly full of steaming water. Well, he wasn't going to look this gift horse in the mouth as he shed his clothes and stepped cautiously in, mindful of the heat. He sank in up to his neck and sat on one of the ledges that ran around the sides with a happy groan, "Oh that feels good. The only thing this tub is missing is the little jets."

The words had barely escaped his lips when the water began to froth and bubble as jets appeared. Making a metal note to ask Sirius about the magics in the house, Harry happily relaxed in his own personal hot tub.

****************************************

About half an hour later, the boy made his way down to the kitchen and found not only Sirius, but Remus and Severus as well. All three men eyed him when he appeared in the doorway, causing him to freeze in anxiety.

The potions master approached him cautiously, not wanting to upset the boy further, "Harry, how are you feeling?"

"Fine?" Harry squeaked, uncomfortable with the attention he was getting. People didn't normally make a fuss over him having a nightmare, or night terror, whatever they thought it might be.

Realizing that his godson was about to bolt, Sirius quietly beckoned to him, "Harry, come sit with me. Remus should be about done with breakfast and we can all relax and talk while we eat."

Sidling around his professor, Harry scurried to the seat beside the older wizard and leaned into him when Sirius put his arm around the thin shoulders. Severus settled into a chair across from the other two as the werewolf floated several bowls and platters to the table. Harry's mouth started watering when he saw scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, fried potatoes, biscuits, and fresh sliced tomatoes being placed in front of them.

"Tuck in," Sirius encouraged, "we don't stand on ceremony around here. Most of the time we eat family-style like this and you can eat as much or as little as you want, there's always more." He planned on making sure the boy ate healthy and often to help build up the malnourished frame and put some meat on his bones. He knew that he also needed to eat as well and decided that he could use that to his advantage in getting the child to join him.

Harry took a little of everything, including several slices of tomatoes, which made the adults quite happy. Being the regular cook for the household, since it wasn't safe to allow the animagus near a stove, Remus began to inquire as to the teen's likes and dislikes when it came to food. He was very pleased that Harry enjoyed lots of fruits and vegetables and made a mental shopping list for later.

Snape rose as everyone was eating and took out four glasses from a cabinet and the jug of pumpkin juice from the refrigerator. Making sure his back was to the table so no one could see his actions, he not only poured everyone a glassful, but also slipped a nutrient potion in the ones for Sirius and Harry. He returned to the table while floating the drinks to everyone.

Remus looked up, abashed, "I'm so sorry about that, Sev, thank you. I completely forgot about something to drink." He knew exactly what the other man had been up to when he got the drinks since they had spoken briefly upstairs before rushing down to save the kitchen from Sirius and his idea of cooking.

A wave of one hand dismissed the apology, "Think nothing of it, Moony, you did a marvelous job with this breakfast, everything is delicious."

The wolf smiled and nodded as the other two added their complements around forkfuls of food. He was happy to observe Harry as he finished his plate and, after making sure it really was alright, went back for seconds. Sirius not only went back for seconds, he took thirds and added a bit more to the boy's plate beside him, earning him a nudge from the teen's elbow in reprimand.

"You and I are in the same boat, pup, we both could stand to add quite a bit of weight in order to be healthy. So we'll need to eat regular meals and snacks in between along with plenty of fluids." He turned a grin on the boy, "I also forgot to show you the Quidditch pitch out in the backyard."

"Pitch?!"

All three men laughed outright at his excitement, causing Harry to blush. It still amazed him to have Severus interacting like this around others, but especially with him and the remaining two Marauders. He'd always thought that the man hated him, his father, and his father's friends; now here he was eating breakfast with them, laughing, joking in his dry way, and actually smiling at Harry. And just yesterday, the man had not only saved his life, but had helped Hermione with her wound, and expressed pride in Harry's accomplishments!

"Sir?"

There was only one person at the table he could have been addressing in that manner, and Severus gave him his full attention, "Yes, Harry?"

"Sirius told me that I had a night terror, so I assume that's why you're here this morning. Do you think I'll have more?"

"I'll not lie to you, Harry, I really don't know. Some people never have them, other have them fairly often. I truly believe that you had one last night because of all the upheavals you've had in your life recently, the attack yesterday, finally talking about your history with Albus, Remus, and Sirius, and suddenly having a true family around you." Sev paused to take a sip of his juice before continuing, "I think, that if you let yourself go, relax, know that you're safe, know that the people here really do care for you and love you, the night terrors will not return."

"Merlin, I hope not," Sirius murmured, "that was a horrible thing to wake up, pup. I thought someone was trying to hurt you." He wrapped the child in his arms for a tight hug, content when he was embraced back.

"I'm sorry, Sirius, I've had nightmares before, but my aunt and uncle never said anything about me have night terrors. Maybe it was just a fluke."

"We'll hope so, Harry," Remus piped in. "But until something happens, you shouldn't let it worry you."

He nodded and pulled out of his godfather's arms as Sev stood up, "Well, gentlemen, as enjoyable as this has been, I'm afraid that I must return to the school. I have a lot of drafts to brew for the upcoming term." He cocked an eyebrow at Harry and inquired teasingly, "So tell me, Harry, are there any special potions I should lay stock in for you this coming year."

Harry made a face at him as he shook his head, "No, sir."

"Very well, I'm off to the grind. If anyone would like to assist me this summer while I brew," his gaze was aimed at Harry, "I wouldn't say no."

The boy nodded eagerly, hoping he would get another chance to spend some time getting to know the real Severus Snape and having the opportunity to work on his potions skills.

"Until later, then, Padfoot, Moony, Boy-Who-Lived."

"Please, sir, not that."

All eyes were fixed on the child in surprise as Remus asked, "Why not, Harry, what's wrong with it?"

"I don't really like being the Boy-Who-Lived. I'm Harry. Just Harry." He shrugged, "At least until a better nickname comes along."

Severus nodded in understanding, "Alright then, just Harry, I will look forward to having you pay me a visit soon." He gently chucked the boy under the chin and waved farewell to his friends as he headed for the sitting room floo.

Reaching over, Sirius ruffled the messy hair beside him even more and asked, "So, just Harry, how would you like to come take a pass through the pitch with me real quick?"

Remus paused as he floated the last of the dishes into the sink to wash themselves, "I need to make a trip to the store, so if there's anything you want or need, speak now."

They both tossed a couple of thoughts at him, which Remus jotted down on a piece of parchment, then everyone went their separate ways. Remus to gather some money from the safe in the study before he left, and Sirius and Harry to change into appropriate clothes for flying.

By the time the werewolf returned, the other two were flushed from the excitement of flying at top speed and chasing the practice Snitch Harry had gotten. They immediately returned to solid ground when called to help put groceries away and Harry helped Remus get lunch together while Sirius "supervised" from the table.

The day passed pleasantly and Harry was happier than he could ever remember being; if asked, he felt as if he could have cast the biggest Patronus Charm ever created. After dinner, the men decided to relax in the sitting room to talk and Harry excused himself to change into sleep clothes.

When he entered his bedroom, Harry realized that his clothes and robe from the day before were still draped across a chair and he had no idea where to put them for washing. As he picked up the robe, a soft rustling sound was emitted by one pocket. Reaching in, he pulled out a heavy cream colored envelope with Sirius' name on it. Slapping himself in the head for forgetting to give it to his godfather, the boy rushed to get changed and barreled back downstairs.

Both men looked up in concern as he flew into the room calling, "Sirius, I'm so sorry, I completely forgot to give this to you yesterday. I didn't mean to forget, I'm really sorry."

Sirius rose to meet the apprehensive child and wrapped his arms around him reassuringly, "Easy, pup, it's alright. Yesterday was pretty exciting all around; I'm not surprised you forgot something." He led the boy to the couch and settled down beside him and opened the envelope. As he read the first page, he stood again and began to pace.

"Padfoot?" Remus inquired, "What is it?"

"It's a letter from Dumbledore detailing the case he presented to the Ministry and Wizengamot on my behalf. He goes on about the evidence he offered, various testimonies given, and memories viewed by penseive." He tossed the first page on the coffee table beside him and looked at the second one.

Sirius froze in place so abruptly, it was surprising he didn't tip over. His eyes went wide as he whispered, "No."

"What does it say, Padfoot?" Remus rose to his feet, wand partially hidden in his hand, ready to control the situation if the other man got out of control.

When he didn't answer, Harry also got up and moved a little closer, daring to reach out one hand to lightly wrap around his godfather's forearm, "Sirius?"

The remaining page in his hand slipped to the floor as he finally fixed his stormy grey eyes on something other than the parchment. Harry nearly flinched when he became the sole focus of the man who whispered, "It's over."

The boy swallowed hard, fighting to keep his tears at bay, wanting, needing to be strong for this man he already loved so very much. Stepping closer, he tightened his hold, "What's over, Siri? What did Dumbledore do?"

Sirius Black, suspected murderer, escaped convict, supposed right-hand man of Voldemort, let out a sob and dragged the slender child into his arms, pressing him tightly to his chest. Harry clung to him, shaking with pain over his godfather's tears. Remus reached out a warm hand of support to grip his friend's shoulder as he hung his head in defeat.

When he finally released the boy, Sirius dropped to his knees in front of him, both hands coming up to frame his face tenderly, "I know I asked you this once already, Harry, but if you want to, you could come live with me, forever."

"But how?!" Harry wailed, grief-stricken, "How can I live with you when someone's always going to be after you? How can we finally be together if you have to spend your life looking over your shoulder for aurors?"

Sirius blinked for a moment at the devastated child before his words actually penetrated, "NO!" He pulled the child back into his embrace, fingers threading through the dark hair comfortingly, "Oh, Harry, sweet Merlin, I'm so sorry! You misunderstood; Dumbledore won. I'M FREE!!"

Harry jerked his head away from the protection of Sirius' chest to stare into the luminous eyes, "Free?"

"Yes, my dear, sweet child, free! Free to walk the streets again, free to get a job if I want to, and free to officially become the guardian of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived!" The boy started to form a protest, but Sirius placed one finger over his mouth, "But I think I will tell them to put Just Harry on the paperwork, if that's alright with you?"

Remus dropped to his knees beside them and joined in a celebratory hug with a now free Sirius Black, and his beloved godson, who was just "Harry" to them.

Well, that's all she wrote, folks! Thank you very much to my reviewers, you've been an inspiration to continue and gave me the push I needed to think about writing some more. Until next time, happy reading!

Nikani


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